Originally posted on 2021-01-24 as a CodiMD doc

Hey kids!

Happy 2020! I saw on a meme that its binary representation is 1111000. I didn’t check that, because I knew I can always trust Facebook to deliver fact-checked advertisements… right?

Oof, starting hot off the bat there! Welcome to the show folks, come right in, take a seat, take a seat!

It’s been quite some time since the last post as real life caught up with me, hard. Things are fun though, thanks for asking! Moving to Amsterdam in a month for a new DevOps position and I am quite excited about that!

What’s happened since?

Work / life balance!

One thing that I’ve wanted to discuss for quite some time is the issue of having a healthy, balanced and all-around awesome workplace. In the tech industry it’s something people pay a lot of attention to, because honestly, they can afford to be picky about their job.

The Away story recently broke out, prompting many to discuss, once again, what we consider “part of startup culture” and how much is that worth it. I mean, people used to work in factories 12 hours a day, right? And sweatshops are still a thing. The hustle is definitely one of the things that characterizes the millenial generation. Perhaps I am extrapolating from my own experiences here, but a lot of people I know work really hard for the things they want. Where does that stop?

I definitely encourage you to read the write up above, not just for the tech drama (confirmed to be the primary entertainment for multiple cool kids), but for the early signs of a dysfunctional corporate culture and how you can survive and avoid it. For the record, after the story was publicised, a lot of VCs (Venture Capitalists, the people investing in startupds) chimed loudly about their admiration towards Corey’s “relentless drive” and “strong work ethic”. Two weeks later, she was promptly fired.. The discussions ensuing also turned to “should you overwork in your 20s?” which sounds like a weird question to ask, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t have to be a toxic environment either for you to want something else, as one shocked manager found out. While building a career is obviously a priority for many, it’s not for all. Some people love to just have a working environment that respects them, does not push them above and beyond and actually allows them to… live? Full disclosure here — this is not how I have lived my life and I am happy for the many things I have achieved with my (much more than required) hard work. However, I have started to think that what I achieved was not because of overworking, but in spite of it.

More enjoy regards,
Alexander P.

#articles