Title: Over 10 years at FAANGs (mostly working in ML) I&#x27;ve lost the joy of software engineering, and I&#x27;ve been at some level of burnout for a few years. I&#x27;m considering leaving tech, but I wonder if a change of focus could reignite my motivation. Can you suggest some options, or share any relevant advice?<p>I figure I could take a sabbatical and explore some new areas, try to transition to contracting, or look for jobs outside of the big tech&#x2F;web startup scene. Ideally I&#x27;d like something that requires rigor, with a focus on software architecture or algorithms&#x2F;optimization. I&#x27;d also like to minimize the type of workplace politics I&#x27;ve experienced at FAANG. I&#x27;m open to suggestions that don&#x27;t exclusively have to do with software. Part of me is tired of spending so much of my life in front of a computer.<p>Here are some disorganized ideas that might give a sense of my interests:<p>- Cryptography and security (not cryptocurrency&#x2F;blockchain): I have a math background and I was always an algebra&#x2F;discrete math person, so this seems a potential fit.<p>- Formal verification &#x2F; theorem proving<p>- Open messaging standards (e.g., Matrix): I find the current state with siloed proprietary messengers a travesty<p>- Open repositories of knowledge (e.g., Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap)<p>- &quot;User-empowering&quot; software (e.g., Emacs, Ableton Live)<p>- Distributed systems<p>- Programming language development (compilers, libraries)<p>- Graphics (though the gaming industry isn&#x27;t exactly the place to recover from burnout)<p>- Research in cognitive science, psychedelics (lots of hype here though), complex systems, physics<p>- Studying music composition or audio engineering<p>- Helping out with homelessness, loneliness, the elderly or disabled
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