Who's hiring that's impactful, doesn't suck, and isn't morally bankrupt? I'm sick of looking at applications for another AI startup, hedge funds, HR platforms, defense contractors, "reinventing healthcare," etc. Are there SWE or SWE-adjacent roles that make you feel like you're doing something good for the world? Like you're helping and not just slaving away to line a billionaire's pockets, mint a new one, or reinforce the enshitification of the world? |
You start your own thing.
Tech, is no longer a capital intensive endeavor. You can pin your costs to your customers and grow at a reasonable pace.
This is how the first bubble started, how Web 2.0 kicked off. Go forth and build something you love.
Thanks, that's a nice quote.
Can always be a carpenter.
At the end of the day, "good for the world" is overblown (see https://youtu.be/B8C5sjjhsso). Most software is boring, but it makes the lives of _some people_ better. If you want to impact a billion lives, chances are someone made a billion on it. Good luck.
On the one hand we have listed companies which are operated to maximize shareholder value on 90 day rolling basis. Financial shenanigans are more lucrative than capital intensive investments, e.g. factories, infrastructure, etc, which take years if not decades to yield return on investment. For the most part these companies can afford to pay well.
On the other hand we have the unlisted, SME sector. These the folks are making, fixing, growing, providing real/tangible/necessary stuff. Their profits are slim and they generally run any IT on a shoestring budget.
Perhaps you could look at the latter sector. The challenge being the trade-off between high salary or high moral value.
Anyway, small to medium sized businesses that are privately owned and operated by families have a much easier time operating with moral fiber. No commitment to investors. In the US many such businesses import products from the far east.
Best of luck.
Don't expect states and companies to pay you to build the codes that will disempower them - build those in groups working to create new forms of worker owned power.
Don't expect to earn a lot. And accept the risk of ending up in political prison if a powerful regime criminalizes your contributions.
Have fun!
Interesting. Can you give a couple examples?
Open source Intelligence and counterintelligence technology
Reverse engineering software
Open source alternatives to any profitable software or service
Software that automatically sues and harasses org who violate open source licenses
Propaganda software that misinforms and harasses capitalists and nationalists
Automation software for mutual aid organizations
Production software for zero cost open source communes - organizations that do free knowledge work that currently costs money - for example a virtual lawyer that represents you for free if you get in trouble for doing any of the rest of this stuff
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Some of these solutions may be illegal, but I'm not endorsing illegal work. I am only pointing out these codes, if written, can help reduce the need for and efficacy of states and capital organizations, and empower revolutionary groups wishing to supplant these forms of power.