[averageValentin]

First off, hats off to you for speaking up about your challenges. Not everyone has the courage to do so. Given your expertise and strong technical skills, I believe there are many roles you could be a fit for, especially in the tech world.

Many companies and startups appreciate engineers who can deep dive into tasks without constant interruptions. Have you considered roles like a Backend Developer, Systems Engineer, or even Research positions in the tech field? These often require minimal interaction compared to some other roles, and you can predominantly rely on your technical skills.

Remote work has also gained a lot of traction over the last few years, and you could look for positions that allow for this flexibility. Being remote could reduce the number of meetings and allow you to focus on tasks. Also, written communication becomes vital in remote positions, which sounds like a strength of yours.

If you're open to branching out, tech writing or documentation might be a direction to consider. Here, your technical knowledge would be invaluable, and you'd be mainly communicating in writing.

Lastly, have you thought about freelancing or consulting? With your experience, you could take on projects that align with your strengths and set boundaries on your terms.

Whatever you decide, remember that everyone has their unique strengths and challenges. Finding the right fit can take time, but it's out there. Best of luck, and hang in there! :)

[big_question]

Thanks for the great ideas! A lot to think about :).

> Whatever you decide, remember that everyone has their unique strengths and challenges.

Right, this is something I've tried to focus more on lately. Improving on my strengths to make myself more valuable, which I hope will pay off in the future. I used to focus on trying to mask my weaknesses, but that takes a lot of effort for little benefit and doesn't seem sustainable.

I appreciate all the ideas. It helps a lot, I wouldn't have considered tech writing at all for example. Consulting has worked well in the past, but because of my lesser-than-average social skills it's not easy to find clients.

[averageValentin]

I totally understand the challenge of finding clients with consulting. Maybe partnering with someone who complements your skills could be a way forward, handling the client-facing parts while you dive deep into the technical side. Just a thought!

If tech writing piqued your interest, maybe start by contributing to open-source projects or writing technical blogs. It'll help you get a feel for it and build a portfolio.

Wishing you the very best in your journey. Your openness to exploring new directions is inspiring! :)