The perception in our industry that you need to "love what you do," "focus on your side projects," "nerd out," and generally "hustle," drives me batty. It is 100% fine to be here purely for the 💰. 🧵
The last time I owned a computer that was not provided by work was about 20 years ago. I have never had a side project. My hobbies have nothing to do with technology.
I am here because if I need to make money to support my family, lifestyle, interests, and causes, working for internet companies is about as spoiled/privileged a way to do it as possible.
To be clear, I DO like technology, and I'm certainly driven by the impact I have had on the industry, but this is all secondary to the money (and in the US sadly health insurance), and not without a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety over the years.
Next time anyone asks about your side projects, hobbies, etc. as it relates to your job, tell them that it's irrelevant to job performance, and to stop asking. We are all here for different reasons, and a fast path to 💰/retirement/other interests is as good as any.
