[analog31]

I fell in love with developing measurement equipment. It started in grad school, realizing that I really wasn't cut out for a basic research career (in a massively overcrowded academic job market), but that I got a lot of satisfaction from being able to solve hard technical problems.

Today, measurement systems combine many of my hobbies, including electronics and programming. I would get bored with becoming a specialist in a narrow tech field. This is also an area where I feel that I can genuinely help people, not just with immediate business problems, but also where I can credibly justify a socially redeeming purpose.

I like the fact that the ultimate judge of my success is mother nature, who doesn't tolerate bullshit.

Advice: Can you work on something that you actually believe in? I read a lot of comments (HN and elsewhere) from people for whom "work" is just an empty cash transaction, and who respect no distinction between good and bad work. (For instance threads on doing little or no actual work without getting caught).

Or, can you completely detach yourself from your day job, satisfy yourself with the empty cash transaction, and get your personal satisfaction in some other way?

[russelltran]

Hey, are you interested in climate change at all? Would you be interested in developing new measuring equipment for methane emissions in rice paddies? This is a completely white space. https://www.ricemethane.org/ Let me know, thanks!

[Riverheart]

"Advice: Can you work on something that you actually believe in?"

You absolutely can. I fell into a great gig by accident. But it's a bad idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Companies get bought, cultures change, priorities shift and if you can't detach yourself from work or find another outlet you'll be frustrated. Balance is key and I'd say a fulfilling personal life is healthier thing to aspire towards.

[Shared404]

Those last two paragraphs feel like the trick to me. Either work on something you're invested in, and if you can't, pick something outside of work.

I personally like D&D. Spending time with good friends wroting stories together is one of my favorite ways to spend time, and the excitement for it has gotten me through more than one hard week.

[User23]

> For instance threads on doing little or no actual work without getting caught

I imagine there are exceptions, but I think a lot of this is people doing jobs that are fundamentally pointless to begin with. When what you're doing is of no practical value to anyone, it's difficult to remain motivated.

[yoyohello13]

Developing measurement equipment sounds really intriguing to me. Do you have any stories about particularly fun/challenging projects you’ve done?