Dev-talk Series
A 40+ Years Experienced Software Architect Advised Me How Not to Be Burned out as a Developer
Out of all my interviews, I liked him most so far. He is funny, wise and this article helped me in my career
A group of penguins are heading towards open water. One of them caught Warner Herzog’s eyes, the one in the center. He would not go to the feeding grounds, at the edge of the ice, nor return to the colony. A little later, he saw the penguin heading toward the mountains, some 70 kilometers away.
Dr. Ainley, one of the documentary crew members, said that even if the penguin were brought back, he wouldn’t stay. But why? What lies on the other side of the mountain?
Uncertainty!
It is 5,000 kilometers ahead of him, and nobody knows what’s waiting.
I don’t know how sentient a penguin is, yet something made it disoriented. When I watched the documentary, I thought human beings are no different. Even sometimes, we become deranged.
Pogaku Harini, a talented 24-year-old developer, was found dead in her hostel room. She took her life after being told she wouldn’t be needed for work anymore by her company. Jacob Pratt, a Googler, jumped from the 14th floor, followed by another suicide of a 31-year-old senior software developer at Google. What’s the underlying reason for such bad news?
The answer is complicated. But work-related stress, fear, anxiety, and burnout could be at the top of the list. The world has become complex, and so is our work culture. Sometimes, we just can’t keep up. We hit the road and let all the negativity consume us.
When I interviewed my guest, who will remain anonymous(at his request) in this article and shall be referred to Mr. Sabastian, at one point, he turned his camera around and pointed at his living room. And instantly, I realized what keeps him going.
My esteemed guest, Mr. Sabastian, is a well-seasoned software architect who has been working tirelessly in the industry for more than three decades, designing and overseeing countless things we are using right now.
Throughout his long career, he…