Why do IT folks consider going at Clients location(foreign location) at their ultimate goal in their life?

Relatively new to tech - only 2 years of experience here so far. Yet find it extremely cyclical. Face the same challenges over and over again. Perhaps the setting changes occasionally but that’s really it. I understand this is not unique to tech and happens everywhere. But at least in product management, it seems like it’s research - design - dev with stakeholder management over and over and over again. Feel like I’m on autopilot mode and not truly *enjoying* working. I used to be so full of energy and enthusiasm in college and school, eager to learn. But the cyclical nature of work has wrung it out of me, and I’ve sort of become a cynic lol. Who enjoys their work?

Recently, every friend or colleague of mine have been on rant mode and very dissatisfied with jobs despite being paid bomb money and crazy esops. Is everyone in every organisation in all functions so unhappy or is this just GenZ problem of setting wrong expectations from the Job?

Hi Grapeviners, **Question for those at higher level (SM+)** How do you perceive your job? Isn't that too demanding, boring and depressing (corporate politics) at the same time considering you're stuck doing it for years/decades on end(that too will intensify more you climb up)? Essentially, I want to know what motivates you apart from you big checks? Is it about the power that you enjoy over people? (i mean, does it really make you feel powerful?) Or is it you can't go reverse because of the status and other factors that are attached with you? Cuz my underlying assumption is that if you're doing a job and earning quite well then it's unlikely that you would get significant time to enjoy that money with your family/ friends or even alone. (pls correct me if I am wrong) Like yesterday I was talking to a client AVP who's been toiling day n night over the weekends from last 2 month just like an unpaid intern. If that's the path to carrer growth, then man, I am already done!😂 -------- Your answers/ perspective would help me understand the point of chasing carrer growth from your lens and decide for myself!! Thanks 🙏

Would like to know more about 1)how the work life is and what to expect 2)how to get adjusted into the work environment right out of college 3)some pointers regarding unspoken rules? 4) General advice to newbies Thank you!

Saw the new FIRE community here on Grapevine, thought of sharing my story here. Let's talk about money, startups, and the misleading "get rich quick" mentality that's captivating our generation. I'm 32, and I've been with TCS for 11 years. Yes, TCS. Not a trendy startup, not a unicorn, just good old Tata Consultancy Services. And I've just reached a 1Cr net worth. Before you assume I'm a senior executive or had family wealth, let me clarify. I started as a fresh graduate earning 3.5 LPA. My parents are middle-class government employees. I had no special advantages or lucky breaks. What I did have was discipline. Pure, unglamorous discipline. While my college friends hopped between startups, chasing ESOPs and IPO dreams, I stayed put. I lived modestly, invested consistently, and focused on steady growth. Here's the unvarnished truth: 1. Most startups fail. Your ESOPs are worthless if the company doesn't succeed. 2. Even if your startup thrives, the chances of making life-changing money are slim. You're more likely to end up overworked and burnt out. 3. FIRE is unrealistic for most people, especially through startup gambles. 4. Slow and steady really does win the race. My journey wasn't exciting. It looked like this: - Lived with roommates until 28 - Drove a second-hand Alto while peers financed luxury cars - Invested 50% of my salary monthly, without exception - Educated myself about index funds, debt funds, and asset allocation - Declined expensive trips and unnecessary luxuries - Focused on upskilling and steady promotions at TCS Was it always enjoyable? No. Did I sometimes feel left behind when friends posted about startup funding or fancy perks? Absolutely. But you know what's truly satisfying? Reaching 1Cr net worth at 32 through consistent, unexciting progress. I'm not saying everyone should work at TCS or that startups are bad. If you genuinely love the startup world, pursue it. But do it because you love the work, not because you think it's your ticket to early retirement. The startup world has sold us a fantasy. They've glorified overwork, made "hustle" a personality trait, and convinced a generation that success only comes through a miraculous exit. That's simply not true. Success often looks like showing up daily, living below your means, and making smart, consistent choices with your money. To the 20-somethings chasing startup dreams and thinking ESOPs will enable early retirement - reconsider. The odds aren't in your favor. Instead, think about this: - Find a stable, fulfilling job - Live well below your means - Invest aggressively and consistently - Focus on steady career growth - Ignore flashy social media lifestyles It's not exciting. It won't get you media attention. But it works. Here's the best part: this path has allowed me to have a balanced life. I'm married with a young child, and I get to spend quality time with them every day. I play with my kid after work, I'm present for family dinners, and I even have time for my hobbies on weekends. I'm not constantly stressed about the next funding round or pulling all-nighters to meet impossible deadlines. I have the mental space to be fully present with my family, and that's priceless. I'm not planning to retire soon. I actually enjoy my job and the stability it provides. But reaching this milestone has given me options and peace of mind that no startup gamble could offer. So, is anyone else out there quietly building wealth without the drama? Let's hear your stories. And to those still pursuing the startup dream - I wish you the best. But consider that the less exciting path might be the one that actually leads to both financial success and a fulfilling personal life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Slow is smooth, smooth is fast :)

Do you think that most of the edtechs for College students and professionals just dump a ton of web developers, who have also crammed up DSA. Once, a Scaler sales person called me and we talked for almost an hour. I said that I'm already working in a product company and was making a decent (decent only, not in par with the usual SDE salaries in tier 1 tech companies). He still wanted me to sign up 😂 I said that, I'm willing to sign up only if they have a detailed course on a topic (development using Java, and Kotlin). He said that they do web development only because it's a vetted curriculum and easy to learn and get a job. I asked why do they charge a ton of money while they've made the curriculum public, and the response was that it's for the faculties and the mentors available. It doesn't make sense to me, as we can connect easily with most of the people from any of the companies (and usually a good number of people are just waiting for someone to reach out to them). Where will this end? A ton of web developers who are just there because of the salary? Some says that India is not yet home to good deep tech companies, and I believe that this is the reason for the same. I strongly feel that a good number of the software developers are just there because they got into it without exploring further options, and because of the pay (not everyone)

Had nowhere to write about this but I feel so angered. Young people should work 70 HOURS? IN A WEEK? For what? Why is there 70 hours worth of work to do? You pay consultancy firms and good for nothing managers to optimise things and make it more efficient, no? Why can't you make sure work happens within the 40-50 hours? Or readjust deadlines and expectations at least? The employees allow you to bring in more profits, no? Hire more people - let them spread the workload. Give them more time off. Let them use the 40-50 hours they're already putting in more effectively instead of pressuring them to put more hours? A skilled potter takes less time to make a pot than an idiot trying it for the first time. Does that mean the idiot is more hard working? What is your logic in saying that Indians need to put in more hours to compete with the world? Put more money into your employees no? An extremely bright engineering friend of mine was given a <3 LPA offer from Infosys. That kind of amount is a rounding error for any single client order and you're playing games with someone's livelihood? Shame on you.

1. They are the most overpaid people in India. 2. They have no work life balance and they don't even know what it means. 3. They think they are the best at everything, but they can't do anything right. 4. They are always complaining about their job and how much they hate it. 5. They are never satisfied with their salary or benefits package. 6. They are always looking for new jobs because they think they deserve better than what they currently have. Would you like to add anything else here?

So here's the thing. I'm 4 years into my SWE career & have realised this field is not for me for long term. I seriously want to get out of this rate race early. But I don't have any skill or talent other than SWE which can earn me decent money. Since SWE pays well my lifestyle has become of higher standard and I am now used to this lifestyle and don't want to compromise on this lifestyle by leaving the well paying SWE field. I have around 50 lakh of savings invested and interested in some business of my own but don't have a clue where to start. Please give me ideas of how I can get out of this rat race early ?