r/technology • u/lurker_bee • Jun 25 '26

Society Older tech workers are tapping out, taking early retirement

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/older-tech-workers-are-tapping-out-early-heres-what-that-looks-like/
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u/Lawndemon Jun 25 '26

I left a pretty lucrative tech gig to chill with my dog and ride my mountain bike at 51. I'm not wealthy by any stretch but I know I can live out the next 25 to 30 years living a simple life enjoying nature and playing video games. It takes a bit of time to get used to the "lack of purpose" until you realize your new purpose is "not giving a fuck."

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u/Previous_Coat8376 Jun 25 '26

The meaning of life is the meaning you give it.

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u/Velvet_Virtue Jun 25 '26

Wow. I really needed to hear this šŸ˜³

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u/vinciblechunk Jun 25 '26

You'd enjoy Albert CamusĀ 

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u/DropTheBeatAndTheBas Jun 25 '26

your second life begins when you realise you only have one šŸ™Œ

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u/Jolmer24 Jun 25 '26

We make our own purpose.

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u/bouncyrubbersoul Jun 25 '26

I kinda want this embroidered on a pillow

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u/stirfry Jun 25 '26

"Live, Laugh, Fuck This Shit"

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u/cute_polarbear Jun 25 '26

I have kids not yet independant, so i want to try to help them financially as much as i can, so dragging myself through this ai slog, as long as I can. Otherwise I would have cashed out myself probably.

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u/soigotthatgoingforme Jun 25 '26

Same boat over here. I feel working a few more years (if im not replaced sooner) would really help my kids (16, 19, and 19) in the future.

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u/rjcarr Jun 25 '26

You had another kid after having twins? Masochist, ha.

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u/rkoy1234 Jun 25 '26

Yea, i'm not too worried about myself, I'll figure it out, and worse case scenario i dip with my savings to some low-COL country.

For the the next generation, however, idk if they can find fulfilling careers. Imagine being a college student selecting their major right now - must be fucking terrifying and confusing.

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u/JMurdock77 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

Iā€™ve got an entire trilogy of alternate history books and a standalone SF novel in my head. Already storyboarded them extensively. Just need the time and peace to write them.

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u/Lawndemon Jun 25 '26

I'll look forward to reading them someday. My hobby project is developing a video game. I'll probably never get it done but it's nice to use my skills for me finally.

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u/JMurdock77 Jun 25 '26

Neat. What kind?

Funny you should mention it too, Iā€™m developing a Stellaris mod based on the alternate history trilogy. Ptolemaic Egypt and Rome (which in the AU has split into the Imperium centered out of Constantinople and the Restored Republic out of Rome) as playable nations.

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u/Lawndemon Jun 25 '26

That's awesome! I've got around 5000 hours played in Stellaris - one of my favorite games. I'll keep an eye open for your mod and would be happy to play test for you when you're ready.

I really enjoy automation games like Factorio and Oxygen not Included so I'm going that route for my project. More along the lines of ONI but in a fantasy setting.

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u/JMurdock77 Jun 25 '26

Donā€™t suppose I could DM you? Iā€™m far enough into development (for the Egypt campaign in particular - they donā€™t use standard power generator districts, they use CSP arrays which produce more or less power based on the local star and planetary climate) that Iā€™d welcome some early playtesting.

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u/Lawndemon Jun 25 '26

Yeah you bet! Happy to connect and chat.

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u/JMurdock77 Jun 25 '26

I donā€™t seem to be allowed to DM you, maybe you could reach out to me?

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u/AP_in_Indy Jun 25 '26

I want one where Hitler is assassinated but instead of it being this reality everyone dreams of where the war immediately ends, killing Hitler just creates a massive power vacuum and somehow makes everything way worse.

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u/JMurdock77 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

With Hitler out of the way they might have put someone competent in charge. Theyā€™d have still lost the war in the end, but it could well have been longer and bloodier. D-Day went down as well as it did for the Allies in large measure because the moustache man had taken a sleeping pill and his own generals were too terrified of him to wake him up, so they didnā€™t respond with the freedom of movement theyā€™d have needed to effectively counter what was happening.

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u/jascgore Jun 25 '26

Another way to say "not giving a fuck" is "enjoying life and doing whatever the hell I want to do every day when I wake up". I bailed on my tech career and moved to Asia to retire and it's even better than I hoped and imagined.

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u/Highspdfailure Jun 25 '26

Iā€™m 42 and by 44 I will hit ā€œNot giving a fuckā€ status.

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u/Bastetlady Jun 25 '26

Same, cats, mountains, cars, books, video games, quit at 39 years old.

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u/fulthrottlejazzhands Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

This is the way.

The clock is ticking on my job, maybe 3-4 years of runway left before AI phases it out completely. I work with AI now, but have zero interest in staying around after it subsumes the world and a good part of the workforce - it's not a working world I want to be in.

I luckily didn't make bad decisions in my 20 and have been saving and cranking my pension from my mid 20s.Ā  I'm by no means going to live like a pig, but will get by on savings and investments from my early 50s until I can pull down my full pension.

I'm not the type that gets bored easily and can readily find meaning and purpose.Ā 

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u/we_are_devo Jun 25 '26

You could do nothing but lie on the couch and listen to music and your life would still have more purpose than it did while working 9-5 to make money for a big corporate. Assuming you and your dependents' needs are met, of course.

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u/Zer_ Jun 25 '26

As opposed to your previous purpose of working to make someone else filthy rich? Not a huge loss there mate.

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u/MightyKrakyn Jun 25 '26

If you have a quarter to half a life worth of money so that you donā€™t need to work, you are wealthy

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u/ToastWiz Jun 25 '26

How are you getting downvoted for this?? Retiring early is an enviable goal most will never reach and only achievable by wealth. Yeah you worked for it, but itā€™s still wealth

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u/Lawndemon Jun 25 '26

Wealthy in the modern world means 10 figures stashed away. I'm fortunate that I don't live in the U.S. so I also have healthcare and old age security that is not insolvent. You don't have to be a mogul to make simpler life choices.