Ask HN: What's your plan if AI takes your job?

4 pointsposted 14 hours ago
by bumicodes

Item id: 50036432

15 Comments

theendisney

11 hours ago

Goto the gym. For many jobs you wouldnt hire someone who looks like a programmer.

More interesting, which would make a better entrepreneur in the long run, someone with limited business logic skills who knows how to code or someone who cant code but knows a thing or two about running a business?

A friend of mine competes with a company with a huge office and 200 enployees. He hired a 14 year old who speaks the main suppliers language. Customers place orders, she checks the agenda, she calls the supplier, negotiates the price, calls the clieint and plans the job in the schedule. 10 million euro materials, 5 people for 3 weeks. Etc

andyjohnson0

13 hours ago

Freelance careers/unemployment counsellor for devs.

Handyman? One of my neighbours used to be a senior sales director. Now he paints fences and assembles flatpack furniture. He seems happy enough.

Or get out of town, buy a shack with some land, try live cheapy off grid, wreck my body hacking turnips from the frozen waterlogged ground.

Retire, try to live off an inadequate pension, hang out in the local public library where its usually warm.

bumicodes

5 hours ago

> Freelance careers/unemployment counsellor for devs.

lol that sounds like a solid plan though

> Or get out of town Yea I wonder if everyone would take the same turn

dieselgate

4 hours ago

There are other types of engineering too.

hanstyle

9 hours ago

Cook!!! After all, people have to eat.

buffer_overlord

14 hours ago

I tried working as an electrician

DivingForGold

8 hours ago

I was President and CEO of my own mail order company just before the internet became the big thing. 6 to 8 employees, LARGE overhead, watched as too many competitors whittled me down to closing the business after just 6 years doing it. Went back into blue collar work, discovered the uber wealthy living on water front property needed someone reliable to install and service their lake water pumps (the submersible pumps worked best, highest performance). 15 years of it. I earned and saved more than I ever imagined, paid off my mortgage, took my son diving on vacations all over the Caribbean and even Indonesia and saved huge for retirement. The key factor was overhead - - - the cost of doing business, this gig had the lowest overhead, 1 day labor guy helped me haul the gear up and down hillsides to the lake and back for about 6 hours on one day each job, I did all the rest. I was part electrician, experienced scuba diver, part plumber, and pump engineer. I already had most all the skills from prior work. My university science degree was pretty much useless to this day. Now retired and enjoying US Master's swim program competition at 72.

bumicodes

5 hours ago

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do agree that doing our own thing has been an overhead and requires more effort. But wearing multiple hats also helps is what I can see from your experience, Thanks for your insight.

clobsaw

7 hours ago

Flee to the woods and brigandry.

rearview

13 hours ago

Farming! I guess :-)

spottedmarley

11 hours ago

Uber, Uber Eats, Doordash, etc.

Move quickly though, drone delivery and robotaxis will soon erase those jobs too.

74gee

14 hours ago

If? lol When.