I Quit
A programmer's manifesto on quitting a well-paying job during an economic crisis — because professional pride matters more than money, status, or fear.
And not because the crisis doesn't scare me — job offers in the IT market have shrunk dramatically.
I wasn't laid off — in fact, I was assured there would be no layoffs.
My salary wasn't cut — I could have been proud of my salary even before the crisis.
And it's not because I have another source of income — no, my wife is a homemaker.
I didn't win the lottery — on the contrary, with the need to pay for a Moscow apartment, the money will last about two weeks.
It wasn't an impulsive decision — I started thinking about quitting about three months ago.
Did I find a better job? No, I haven't even really started looking yet.
Am I crazy? No. I'm simply tired of churning out garbage. Professional pride is above crises, money, and status. I want to create, not fulfill requirements that change every day from wealthy amateurs who found themselves a new glamorous toy in the form of an initially promising project. I'm tired of tolerating stupidity and unprofessionalism. I'm tired of watching smart people bend under the argument of money and the fear of a crisis. And let my colleagues, who equally acknowledge all of this, keep sitting there collecting their paychecks. I can't do that. Despite the crisis, I am free — free as before to do what excites me, what's interesting, what's thrilling, what makes me stay an extra hour or two at work, what makes me jump out of bed at night with the thought "Eureka!" And no crisis will make me shift my priorities in favor of money!
Am I an idealist? Maybe. But I think that's exactly what a programmer should always remain.
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