Comment by snozolli

As someone who has experienced a similar burnout, I would recommend that you seek new experiences, expose yourself to different kinds of people, and reflect deeply on what you find rewarding in life.

Personally, I grew to hate tech, especially in SV and the Bay Area. I never minded the work itself, but what killed me was the sheer douchebaggery. It was a magnet for awful people, drawn in by the earning potential. I'm not speaking, generally, of other developers, but mostly of management, project management, etc. I even worked for a CEO who, I believe, was a literal psychopath, who felt entitled to free labor.

If I were doing it over again, with the savings I had from working on tech, I would immediately pursue whatever struck my interest. I'd get a CDL and drive trucks for a while. I would get a teaching degree and try that for a few years. If I were able-bodied, I would get a nursing degree and see how I felt about that.

I've recently started dating a nurse practitioner, and she's really opened my eyes to what's out there. Nursing is in extreme demand, similar to what I saw in tech back in the late 90s. It's taxing work (physically, mentally, and emotionally), but deeply gratifying if you're the right kind of person. It also allows for a lot of options, like working four tens or three twelves, giving a lot of flexibility for adventure on your days off. Again, if that's your thing. You can pursue a (very difficult) graduate degree and become a nurse practitioner, earning 150k - 180k in areas with far lower housing costs than the Bay Area. As it turns out, I really like being around empathetic people, and I would have been far happier in this kind of role than I ever have been slinging code for projects that will most likely disappear into the void in a few years.

The biggest problem, in my opinion, is finding out what matters to you. I don't know how to fast-track that, which is why I say to just pursue whatever strikes your interest. The worst thing you can do is be indecisive and sink into aimless depression.

Speaking of depression, consider therapy. Chances are good that you're depressed. IMO, most people would be after a decade of soulless tech work.