[ryandvm]

After being in software development for 20+ years, I have concluded that EVERY workplace is dysfunctional - it's just a matter of degree. The only time I wasn't drowning in workplace apathy was the 5 year stint I did as a freelancer. That of course wasn't stress free because you have absolutely no employment guarantee outside of the next 3 weeks.

Ultimately, as with much of life, you have to figure out what you're willing to settle for. You can:

  * Be a software engineering consultant and have complete control, but also high risk
  * Work at a large corp, where you'll have almost no control but also fewer hours and lower risk
  * Join a startup, where you'll have longer hours, and moderate control and risk

Personally at this point in my life, I decide that I can stomach workplace inefficiency and stupidity if it means I can get a decent paycheck and I'm not being overworked.