DracheZahn

Need to read : "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll

This is the best advice for long-term security. Take advantage of a ROTH if you can. Regardless of the market or your income, contribute now. Take advantage of the Rule of 72. Double your money every few years. With every raise, add more until you reach your maximum contribution. When you turn 50, raise it to the new maximum. When YOU want to retire, you will have a sizable savings.

One more comment and a bit of advice for junior product and engineering staff. If someone else leaves, make it clear to your leadership that you cannot be expected to always pick up the slack. Don't get stuck in the cycle where leaders learn they can dump tasks on you and never backfill for the skill set. Becoming an essential team member will lessen your chances of getting promoted, and you will have very limited career change opportunities..

After 35 years in tech and 10 years with the same company, today is my last day at a Fortune 100 tech firm. I left voluntarily with no new job lined up.

Never felt so relieved.

I realized that the depression I was experiencing was caused entirely by leadership, not my job. No matter which products I worked on, the same feelings of depression and ultimately loathing of the environment and process kept returning.

Don't get me wrong. My employer is world-class, and the benefits were amazing, but the software development and engineering culture are destroying their employees.

A sabbatical to rethink my career is in order.

I've saved for the past 20 years and realized that unless I take time now, I might never have the real opportunity to enjoy life the way I’ve dreamed. I now have two years of savings set aside, so we will see where life takes me. I might work for myself or simply step down from technology development into a new role.

Modern software engineering is killing its employees. Global teams across time zones working from 5:00am to 10:00pm., on projects that aren’t even mine—just because someone else left and needed someone competent to pick up the slack and carry the project to completion. Leaders overpromise and commit to deadlines without even asking if the solutions are feasible. Being reprimanded when you push back and say that the solution they just promised isn’t realistic or even possible.

Same plan for ALL data.

Recent Local + Recent in Cloud(DropBox) --> Copy on Home NAS (Synology) + Local NAS weekly Backup (External USB) --> Continuous Cloud Backup (BackBlaze) --> Offsite Copy Annually

Copy all important and historical data to a cloud storage solutions. Currently using DropBox

Export photos to home NAS (Dual Drive) and NAS Backup to external drive weekly. Daily backup all local drives to BackBlaze

Once a year, copy all photos and important data to a larger encrypted USB HDD for one year storage off site at parents home. I swap the drives about once a year. This is my I need it quick recovery copy should the house burn down.

For encrypted storage, I use only local OS encryption. Got burned by TruCrypt/VeraCrypt not supporting new OS.

I have a list of my best purchases and things that will likely change the way I work for life:

Sonos Move - I now take my music outside and work during the day or take my music out in the evening.

Logitech MX Keyboard and Mouse - One mouse and keyboard for three computers. Tried Synergy and other tools but this worked much better across my home computer and work computers.

Anker PowerExpand Elite 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Dock - One cable to my laptop... No Dongles but still get USB, HDMI, and Ethernet with PD Power at 85W.

Tesla Solar and 2x Powerwall2 for home - Effectively Off the grid. When rolling black-outs hit or random power outages, I stay online. Biggest investment of the year by far, but it will ensure I don't pay for electricity for the next 25 years. Sold our second car as we both work from home and used it to pay for solar. Net gain on both sides (no car payment/insurance, and no electricity bills beyond connection fee)

STÁLOGY STATIONERY Grid Notbook and Faber-Castell .7mm Mechanical pencil with HB graphite. I take this everywhere and make notes, journal, draw, design, and plan my life. Best notebook and pencil combo I have.

YETI Rambler 20 OZ tumbler with a Magslider lid - If you want cold coffee at your desk, drink from a standard mug, but if you want hot coffee and tea all day, use a YETI!.

For my desktop systems (About 3TB across 3 Systems)....

1. Cloud Replication - All files/docs are stored in one path under VIIVO (an encrypted folder utility) All encrypted files are replicated to Dropbox / OneDrive paths for cloud replication. Only encrypted data is replicated to the cloud.

2. Cloud Backup - Full system is encrypted and backed up to CrashPlan by Code42.

3. On-Premise - All user files and folders (encrypted and not encrypted) are backed-up with two different storage paths in a NAS based Apple TimeMachine (Mirrored Drives)

4. Local - Daily and frequent folders are also replicated with SyncMate to a local USB3 Flash Drive

5. Off-site - About once a year, I backup my data files, apps, and critical files to external USB drives and ship them off site to my parents for storage just in case. These drives are usually encrypted with VeraCrypt or just Apple Encryption.

6. Tax documents, personal documents, scans, and important personal files are copied periodically to a rugged USB flash drive and placed in the home fire safe.

For my Servers/Array 10TB (Includes my Apple TimeMachine Archives)

1. On-Premises External USB drives provide daily backups with local Synology Backup tools

2. On-Premises - RSync some data to external WD NAS

3. Cloud Backup - Cloud backup some paths with ElephantDrive

4. Off-site - Monthly backups with USB Drive rotation with drives sent to parents home to be stored in fire safe.

When you salary demand exceeds the threshold of a standard programmer.