The tech dream is a nightmare

Working in tech used to be fun, until it wasn't

Working in tech used to be fun, not because of the cold brew kegs or ping-pong tables, but because it felt like we were moving toward something together.

If you were around between 2012 and 2020, you know the energy I mean. Those years felt electric. Every new product launch felt like the future arriving early. Jobs were everywhere, optimism was contagious, and for a moment, you could almost believe you were part of something that mattered.

And honestly? I did believe it.

We bought into the dream that tech could change the world. And for a while, it really felt like it might.

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From “we’re changing the world” to “we’re changing the slide deck”

Somewhere along the way, that energy fizzled. Post-2020, the tech world has been a very different place.

Now, when I talk to friends or peers, the mood is heavy. People aren’t trying to “break into tech” anymore. They’re quietly (or loudly) looking for ways out.

Instead of dreaming about what could be built, we’re calculating our stock options, our vesting schedules, and whether staying one more year is worth it. The “golden handcuffs” are real, and they’re tight.

Tech salaries make it hard to leave, that’s the truth nobody likes to say out loud. Even if the work drains you, even if the culture feels hollow, the paycheck keeps you in place. And tying health insurance to employment only makes the handcuffs tighter.

And yet… it doesn’t hit the same. The buzz is gone. The excitement is gone. The sense of purpose? Also gone.

When I talk to people now, the most common phrase I hear is: I’m tired.

What happens when the dream fades?

I don’t think tech is bad. I just think a lot of us finally see it for what it is.

At its best, tech is a tool. But we were sold it as a religion. A belief system. A way of life. “Move fast and break things” wasn’t just a motto; it was an identity. And now we’re all sitting here among the broken pieces, wondering what, exactly, got better.

It feels like most of the big tech “innovations” these days are really just slightly different ways to sell ads, track people, or convince us to subscribe to yet another service.

Meanwhile, the work itself feels more disconnected than ever. Meetings about meetings. Slack threads that never end. Launches that are marketed as world-changing but really just… another update to a tool you’ll barely use.

If 2015–2020 felt like the tech industry was alive with possibility, 2023–now feels like it’s on autopilot. And being part of that system is exhausting.

My Trader Joe’s dream

Here’s the thing: I don’t actually dream about starting the next unicorn.

My real dream? Working at Trader Joe’s. I know how that sounds. But stay with me.

Picture it: clocking in, helping people face-to-face, being a small part of their day. Stocking shelves. Having real conversations. Maybe hand out a sample of seasonal pumpkin butter. At the end of the day, you leave work at work. No Slack notifications at 9 p.m. No feeling like you need to justify your existence with some lofty mission statement. Just… community.

The older I get, the more I crave that. Real connection. Being part of something tangible. Doing work that feels good for the humans right in front of you, not for an algorithm or a shareholder.

It’s not about “changing the world” as much as it’s about belonging to a small one that actually matters.

Where do we go from here?

The funny part is: I don’t have an answer.

I just know I’m not alone in feeling this way. I hear it constantly in conversations with peers: the itch. That awareness that something isn’t working anymore. That pull toward something more grounded, even if we can’t fully name what it is yet.

And maybe that’s the first step, being honest enough to say it out loud. To admit that the dream has soured. To stop pretending we’re still fueled by the same optimism when really, we’re drained.

For me, just naming it has been huge. Saying: “Hey, this isn’t it anymore.” That’s when change becomes possible.

I don’t know exactly what’s next for me. Maybe I’ll stay in tech a while longer, maybe I’ll find my way out. Maybe one day you’ll actually see me bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s, chatting with neighbors, fully offline and happy.

But I do know this: the itch doesn’t go away once you notice it. It sits there until you do something about it.

And I have a feeling a lot of us are about to start scratching.

Thank you for reading,
Max

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