I would aim... Away from the glare of the software world.
There are plenty of smallish companies that just bob along. If you pinch your nose for long enough you quickly become indispensable, and your productivity will rarely be very challenged.
But... Be aware. "Bullshit jobs" can be enjoyed only by the right mind. Most people find them miserable anyway, it doesn't really matter if they are easy, or low effort.
(This means also that I disagree with recommending to become Project or Product Manager - when those roles are properly useless... They are also soul crushing, with layers of stress on top)
That's a nifty extension. I had though of developing it myself, so THANKS.
Apart from the number of people that will tell you of other ways to better handle zoom zombie tabs... yes, a lot of people open zoom links from their Google calendar and collect them through the day.
I have a similar situation.
I am using the budget to:
- get Duolingo subscription
- get Audible subscription
- Buy books. I keep a list of books I should own or read someday, and I buy from it once in a while. When I need to learn a new topic fast, I buy 2-3 books on that topic
- Coursera has a business subscription that gives you "unlimited" certifications. But I plan to get it only if at the end of the year I have enough certifications to claim
- I have seen some smart things claimed under L&D, like subscriptions to tools you want to learn or use to support learning (Figma, Notion)
I have strong feelings about the "making money" reason.
As much as I do like 2-3,000 USD extra in my pocket every year, investing the time directly into getting better skills and better-paid jobs trumps such amounts even if you get just 1% more every year.
The explosion in computation complexity is a BIG problem… but the potential is massive.
The are scenarios in which the additional privacy would be a game changer: imagine getting a 23andMe type of analysis from your DNA without having to disclose yourself, or people being able to get a credit check without telling to a bank who they are.
AOC was right.
Airbnb disregarded their impact on rents in touristic cities, and competed with hotels by running faster than regulations.
Kalshi is gambling.
Doordash leveraged underpaid delivery drivers on unfair contracts.
Instacart cheated con consumer fees.
Reddit was based on (milked and abused) volunteer moderators.
I stop because I don't know all the 30 billionaires that YC created... But this subset of companies should cover 30% of them.
I am happy we have innovation in the world, but claiming these things are not bad for society and ways to cheat to the top is... Lying