When did you realize the system is rigged?

[Ludachris]

I know this meme has been floating around lately, but it reminded me of the realization I had long ago and it's something I think about daily at my slow lane "day job". Business owners need people to perform tasks for them. If those people aren't performing the tasks, the business won't profit. They don't want you to work hard and get to where they are, they want you to work hard to propel them even further. You are nothing more than a lever they control to help them reach their own goals of freedom. Some people are fine knowing that. I've always felt strongly about controlling my own destiny, even as a kid. It's never been about being rich for me, it was about independence and doing things a different way while questioning/challenging the norms (or, the system). As we all know, independence requires money.

Funny enough, many of us will rely on that same slow lane workforce to get to where we want to be. Hopefully not everyone wakes up and chooses to live UNSCRIPTED all at once! We'll all be in trouble LOL!

Another realization that stands out for me...

Around 15 years ago, when I made the jump to being full time self employed I remember trying to get a new health insurance policy for myself and my wife through an individual plan. We were both working for ourselves at the time and could no longer rely on employer health plans. When you make that jump it's pretty clear how rigged the system is in favor of the corporate employer model, with health benefits being tied to employment. Working for an employer to get health benefits is certainly the safer way to go and a major incentive for people to get a job.

Health insurance plans have never really been tailored to the low volume, self employed business owner. And the average slow-laner has no clue what it's like trying to get health insurance as an individual because all they know is the scripted system and can't fathom leaving that system. After being denied for preexisting conditions a couple of times for very minor issues, then having to take a policy with riders for those issues, it was clear the risk I was was taking by working on my own business was much larger than I had originally thought - the stakes are even higher when you have kids. Configuring the system so that health insurance is tied to employment works great to keep people enslaved to a job. It will be interesting to see how the politicians shape the future on this issue.

 

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[Philip Marlowe]

To the OP, I talked about it in my intro to the forum, but basically had an epiphany while watching some investing gurus talk about what to do with a few grand you have laying around (hint - it was not build a business like they had, but rather giving them your money to invest in a mutual fund for 40 years).

Not sure why but it hit me like a ton of bricks. Began "searching" for something and what I found was TMF ...

That said, I love my slowlane job. It's an excellent company with a good mission and I enjoy the people I work with. I'm not implying in any way it's stable and I see the script everywhere around me - that's why I'm here - but it doesn't change the fact that for the most part, I really enjoy what I do which I'm thankful for.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

That said, I love my slowlane job. It's an excellent company with a good mission and I enjoy the people I work with.

Nice!

Could be a double-edged sword though, inspiring change from a place of comfort can be difficult. Sounds like you're in a good situation.

 

[McFirewavesJr]

From kindergarten to workplace, everything just kept feeling weirder and weirder. At some point it just became F*cking obvious I was not where I should be.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djlc6uHTVmY

 

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[unaided]

Health insurance plans have never really been tailored to the low volume, self employed business owner. [....] Configuring the system so that health insurance is tied to employment works great to keep people enslaved to a job.

Health is the one thing that I recommend unscripting first. MJ hits on this in Unscripted . Unscripted freedom is nothing without health.

Health Savings Accounts (not flex spendimg account) are high deductible, "low" premium plans where you build a retirement account for health expenses. At 65ish (check your tax rules), you can withdraw from it like it was a conventional retirement account without penalty.

You can pay for you, your spouse and kids expenses with it. You choose which doctors you want to see, and the money used for "qualified" health expenses is NEVER taxed.

It carries with you from job to job, year over year etc.

My slowlane job for a small 5 person employer hired a broker to help them with choosing plans.....

Some thoughts on the effects of this company decision

1. Nobody (outside of myself) knew how to wager deductibles, copays, coinsurances, prescription credits etc to even pick the plan in the first place.

2. I was the only one requesting an HSA eligible plan. The broker told me "oh yeah our whole company is on an HSA policy, I love it!". Yes the broker agency that makes its living selling all of these traditional plans insurance chooses HSA for themselves. Yes, your employer can make contributions on your behalf too...up to the annual contribution limit. Dont count on it, it is still better to choose the HSA from an unscripted perspective as it can carry with you beyond your indentured servitude in the slowlane.

3. If you already are sick (and "need" preSCRIPTions and routine visits for bloodwork etc), an HSA is often out of the question because you cannot build up the account prior to expending it amd get stuck in that cycle. The sick person could be your spouse or a kid. Things you dont always have control over.

4. Also, you do need to put aside the money in the first place, another hurdle

5. It is now required to have insurance....so as a self employed person it really does become the crux reason why people stay slowlane. It can be a big % of income...early on, that's money that cannot be reinvested, little control over future premium increases, etc. It's like having an adjustable rate mortgage where the rate goes up 5 to 25% a year lol!

6. 67%+ of bankruptcies are related to health expenses. 75% of which HAD health insurance at the time of their bankruptcy. This was pre-Obamacare stats. It is worth actively hedging for that kinda risk.

7. How many companies do you think slow or delay full-time hirings bc of this? How much more output do they need to squeeze out of you because of your employee sponsored plan?

Cost of living increases (big whoop), bonus incentives etc all came off the table once our small company gave us healthcare. It not only locks you into dependency, it also decreases your future income/benefit ceiling in that slowlane vehicle.

Fight/negotiate for profit sharing, incentive based pay over benedits like that in my opinion...you maintain more control of your future that way. Once you get healthcare benefits, there is too much uncertainty in the year to year costs for your employer to give you much else....but they will weight perfomance based stuff much differently in their head and even potentially feel good writing you those kinda checks.

 

[• nikita •]

When I started my first job and realized that I was miserable, and I couldn't fathom doing this for 50+ years. I hated that place with a passion, having to force myself to fit the culture, to kiss my boss's a$$, etc etc. But even if I loved my job I still couldn't have imagined being slowlane forever. Just watching my parents bust their a$$ for decades, the hardest working people I know, and still just have an "average" salary and talk about "beginning to enjoy our lives when we turn 65"... It made me sad. Like, they work so hard for so long, and in the end only get a few """good""" years of their life to enjoy? When they're old? Sounds like the shittiest deal in the world.

 

[Fpm9]

When I started my first job and realized that I was miserable, and I couldn't fathom doing this for 50+ years. I hated that place with a passion, having to force myself to fit the culture, to kiss my boss's a$$, etc etc. But even if I loved my job I still couldn't have imagined being slowlane forever. Just watching my parents bust their a$$ for decades, the hardest working people I know, and still just have an "average" salary and talk about "beginning to enjoy our lives when we turn 65"... It made me sad. Like, they work so hard for so long, and in the end only get a few """good""" years of their life to enjoy? When they're old? Sounds like the shittiest deal in the world.

Same thing for me. Also I had the chance to travel and do fun stuff at some point in my life, so that was great motivation to escape that 9-5 life. I recently started a new slowlane job to pay the bills and make money to invest in a business, I feel physically sick when I'm on my way to the office in the morning.

 

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[• nikita •]

Same thing for me. Also I had the chance to travel and do fun stuff at some point in my life, so that was great motivation to escape that 9-5 life. I recently started a new slowlane job to pay the bills and make money to invest in a business, I feel physically sick when I'm on my way to the office in the morning.

I can't even put into words how sick I felt going to my slowlane job, like my life had ended or something. Every time I would ask how people could take this for years they would just get mad or say "suck it up, you get used to it". Used to a useless, boring life?

 

[Fpm9]

I can't even put into words how sick I felt going to my slowlane job, like my life had ended or something. Every time I would ask how people could take this for years they would just get mad or say "suck it up, you get used to it". Used to a useless, boring life?

Because that kind of life is not pure hell. Its not forced labor in North Korea, we can go back home, grab some beers and watch TV. And everyone is doing it, so its easy to say " Oh well that's the life I'm supposed to live, right ? ". When I tell my friends about alternatives to the slowlane they say this sounds fun but unrealistic.

 

[Van Halen]

When I started my first job and realized that I was miserable, and I couldn't fathom doing this for 50+ years. I hated that place with a passion, having to force myself to fit the culture, to kiss my boss's a$$, etc etc. But even if I loved my job I still couldn't have imagined being slowlane forever. Just watching my parents bust their a$$ for decades, the hardest working people I know, and still just have an "average" salary and talk about "beginning to enjoy our lives when we turn 65"... It made me sad. Like, they work so hard for so long, and in the end only get a few """good""" years of their life to enjoy? When they're old? Sounds like the shittiest deal in the world.

Same here, its all that time and effort for nearly nothing.

I remember 1 lunch break looking up at the beautiful green hills in the distance and realising "Shit, theres a whole world out there right now. right this moment, and most people are just stuck in an office. Just because its a weekday doesn't mean shit, theres life and freedom out there"

 

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[AgainstAllOdds]

I've had a few of these moments. One of my favorites:

At one point I thought about getting a job. I was done with college. One of my ventures failed. I still had passive income in the form of about $20,000 a year, but everyone was telling me that I was underperforming, that I should get a job, and I believed it.

So I applied to a handful of places. One of the places I applied to had an intense interview process.

Day 1 was meeting with the two directors. They grilled me on my resume, why I wanted to work there, etc. At the end of the interview, one of the directors took me aside and told me: "Why don't you just become an entrepreneur? You're obviously a smart kid, you don't need to get a job."

I should've ended the interview process there, but I thought screw it, I'll continue on and get experience interviewing with companies so that I can develop the interviewing skill set.

Day 2 was an informal coffee meeting with another two people under which I'd be working. Nothing too bad. Flew threw it.

Day 3 F*cking sucked. 6 hours of straight interviews. They had every single person in the company interview me one by one. They'd ask me questions. I'd answer with more or less the same response to each person. Then they'd ask if I had any questions for them. Then they'd leave and the next person would come in.

Each person I'd ask the same question at the end "What's great about working here?" And half of the people would have the same response: "Well, there's a lot of rewards. For example, if you're number 1 in the office, you get a bonus of $5,000 at the end of the year. If you're in the top 10, you get a paid trip to Cabo! It's really amazing. I was one of the ones that got to go last year and it really made all of this hard work feel worth it."

Meanwhile I'm sitting there thinking: "Are you F*cking serious? You work 60 to 100 hours a week all year, so that one week of the year you can go to Cabo? And that's what makes it all worth it? F*ck. I'm technically unemployed and not making that much money, but if I wanted to, I could be in Cabo tomorrow. And I sure as F*ck could afford to splurge for one week even though I only make a fraction of what you make. My highlight of the year would be same as yours but it wouldn't come at the cost of quasi-slavery."

So around the 6 hour mark of being interviewed, I had enough. And as someone was asking me a question across the conference room table, I unconsciously closed my eyes, put my head down, and laid there for 10 seconds before I realized what I was doing. Then when I looked up, I saw a really confused look on the other person's face. I apologized. Said I was tired. They said no worries. The interviews ended, and they told me to send an email if I was still interested in working there. I was not and never did send that email.

When I left that office I realized how shitty peoples' lives are. They have these "prestigious" jobs working downtown, where they wear a suit to work, make "6-FIGURES!!", get to walk around the office like a hotshot, but end of the year only thing they appreciated was going to Cabo for one week out of the year to forget how miserable their day to day is.

It was at that point that I decided I'd rather be a $20k a year passive income bum than a $100k a year brainwashed corporate slave.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

When I left that office I realized how shitty peoples' lives are. They have these "prestigious" jobs working downtown, where they wear a suit to work, make "6-FIGURES!!", get to walk around the office like a hotshot, but end of the year only thing they appreciated was going to Cabo for one week out of the year to forget how miserable their day to day is.

It was at that point that I decided I'd rather be a $20k a year passive income bum than a $100k a year brainwashed corporate slave.

Featured+

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

Featured+

Appreciate it.

That was a weird time when I was trying to figure everything out.

My parents were telling me to get a job. My friends were all confused with what I was doing. After awhile I started doubting myself too.

But after interviewing with a handful of companies and seeing what my life could be, I'm glad I stuck to the fastlane path.

 

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[MattR82]

I've always had an entrepreneurial mind from a young age, around 9 probably, whe n I pretty much considered myself the best hot young prospect coming up. I believe I was going to solve the problem of soaking up oil slicks in the ocean haha.

But the embarrassing truth is that I only saw the script for what it was after reading a book. And it was.. I have to say it.. rich dad poor dad. And it was only about 3 years ago at age 32. I'm of course not a fan of his now, but I can't deny I didn't take something from the book. Thankfully it led me on the path to reading TMF a year later. That's what truly got me. I always knew something wasn't right though and wanted my own business, but was definitely not aware of the script.

Edit: actually, you know what, there was a moment of clarity long before that that always stuck with me. I was in my first year of university, studying a bachelor of business full time and working full time as a trainee accountant. I remember looking around at the established guys and thinking, yeah, ok, they are making ok money now at 30, but some are still studying their CPA.. and it wasn't even amazing money. Helluva lot of work. To make it you needed to be a partner. Add another 10 years.

Then I went back to doing a tax return (well.. worksheets..) for a banana farmer that would come into the office in dirty work clothes and his big a$$ dogs (he would actually take them into my bosses office and they would sit there like hounds ready to devour him haha baller).

He made over 500k that year.

Also.. my friends are sick of hearing the banana farmer story.

 

[inputchip]

When did you realize the system was rigged?

My day job never ceases to remind me how rigged the system is.

In my industry (engineering in Canada), the first four years of your engineering career you work as an "engineer in training". Upon gaining four years of experience you graduate to become a "professional engineer". With this status I was told comes a significant pay raise.

My colleague finally reached his professional engineer status, and you know what they gave him? A measly $0.60 per hour pay raise!

Wowee, a $1200 bonus! I hope he doesn't spend it all in one place! This is what four years of hard work comes down to? Do other people just not see that the game has been rigged since before we started playing?

 

[Aaron T]

I was fortunate in many ways realizing the Unscripted life early and quitting college, doing my own thing and loving it. I been more than happy with my life many times. But when I was young I didn't know how scripted the world was, how indoctrinated it was into the people around me, and I still thought a good job was a good thing. This is the story of one of those instances where things changed for me.

I was consulting for a while but decided to sell my consulting business. It as in Software Development and for some dumb reason I was not enamored with running it anymore even though it provided a good income. So I decided to take a few months off and start to build my "dream" home for that time. During the process of finding and funding my dream home I ran across a small mortgage firm that did specialized loans which was what I needed. For some reason the CEO convinced me that my skills would be helpful for them and to come work for them and build out their IT Infrastructure, their Software platforms, everything. It looked challenging so for some god awful reason I accepted this. Mind you this is after I was essentially retired, unscripted , building a multi-million dollar home with a small mortgage.

WTF was I thinking taking a job?

I have no idea. Briefly I bought into the notion that someone as young as I was at that time shouldn't be lounging around. My parents were on me that I need to work and my money wouldn't last. Insurance was expensive and a job would help me pay for it. I could build my retirement fund up even faster if I had the company 401k match and all. Yeah, I knew how to make money, but I was NOT smart about money, what I had, the value of time. I took the job. What ensued was a series of madness that got worse and worse over the years.

1. At first as we were smaller everyone was pretty nice but it didn't take long to realize company politics were incredibly toxic and nepotism was high
2. Work hours started at a leisurely 40 hours per week, but I was constantly asked for more and more and told to build the group
3. I hired over 40 people for IT/Software and hand built the entire company IT from the ground up including all the wiring/networking in a new office building
   1. 100 plus hour weeks donated to the company for that "sweet" 40 hour per week salary
   2. I had a IT Director title which I thought was important
   3. I had to manage everyone without another layer in between and I was constantly stressed out
4. Shortly after I got everything working and built up the CEO decided we needed a CTO.. I really thought it would be me
   1. He put his Uncle in charge as the CTO
   2. He gave his Uncle a huge salary that was orders of magnitude over mine
   3. His Uncle didn't even use a computer and had no idea how to push a mouse, double click or anything and then said the technical stuff was why I was there

OK so at this point I started getting frustrated and it was obvious. In a last ditch effort to keep me from leaving and the place from falling apart the CEO called me to his office with "Good" news. I was like maybe this is the bonus or something that I deserved. I quickly went up to his office and he told me that he was so happy for the work I been doing he will give me a much needed raise. He bumped me $3500 dollars. A YEAR. This is after working to the bone. He then gave me a basket of Oranges as bonus. Mind you I live in Florida. Oranges are not hard to find in Florida. I have them in backyard for free. I was shocked. He then said that over Christmas (few months away) I would be excited for what was coming and to hang tight.

I was disappointed but I thought a job was what I needed at this time so I stayed on. Believe it or not as bad as it was, that wasn't the thing that got me.

We were finishing a big paperless mortgage system that tied into an automated underwriting system. It will save the company millions and was a huge important project. I loved the work I was doing and loved the challenges so I doubled down. My home was being built and nearly finished and I was excited for that. I still had most of my money in the bank. Didn't need the work. But I thought the work was important and I needed to do it because that is what you are supposed to do at my age. Work until you can retire at a decent age. I was retired but still I bought into the script for unknown reasons.

Come end of October the system is ready to roll out. Happy times for all of us. My core team of 19 developers and I put in huge weeks, gave up on life, did everything so we could realize this system. We knew it would make millions for the company and save in overhead and time. The company planned a big Halloween party in the office and encouraged us all to come to the office in costumes. Party came, we were done, spirits are high. 3PM I got a call to go upstairs meet with CEO and President before the party. Go up, and he broke the news to me. They were going to lay off all the developers since they were not needed anymore and they wanted to start November off right. I had to bring them up to the room to deliver the news with HR so before the party started they would be out. They didn't want to damper the spirits.

Disbelief... Anger... Couldn't believe it.

I did what I was told. I took them up to the main conference room. Head of HR was there with packets. We were all in costumes. Hers? A clown outfit. Yes. It was that surreal. Everyone in my group were handed their papers and told to discreetly pack up and walk out. No severance. Nothing. Nearly a year of grueling work and that was the reward. They were highly compensated in at least they made Florida market rates for Developers, but again based on a 40 hour week not the 60+ that was required to get the job done on time. The reward? Getting kicked out so the company could save money.

The best part was the CTO, Uncle Bob, was coming into the building for the party about the time everyone was leaving. He rode up in a limo to the front of the building just as a couple of my guys were walking out, in costumes, boxes full of personal effects. He looked at them and laughed, then commented that he expected them to be gone before he showed up. It was so awful. I was escorting the poor guys out and he does that.

I couldn't contain myself. I thought, why am I doing this? I had it. I made more in my consulting gig working hours I chose to work (sometimes they were excessive then) in a month that I would get in a year. If I wanted an extra $3500 dollars then I would just do a little more work. Yes it was still changing time to value, but at a much higher level than any job. I happily sold the business. I happily retired. I then bought into the script that I was supposed to work. In return I had mostly misery for several years. I used my reputation to bring excellent developers into the business only to watch them get treated like shit and thrown out. All the while the CEO, President, and their relatives were benefiting and making millions off the company growth and stock.

My house was finished being built and I wasn't even home enough to enjoy it. My daughter was growing up and I rarely saw her. I would get up 3AM go the the office and come home at 9PM in time to kiss her goodnight. That day they let half my group go just to save a buck after this group gave them the software key to the mortgage universe, was the final straw.

It all became excessively clear to me in an instant. As the CTO was walking into the building and going to the party, I ran back inside and upstairs. I turned in my resignation. Avoided the arguments the CEO was making. Packed my stuff and walked out with my team. Shortly later nearly all of my team that had remained left.

By December their stock was delisted, Feds investigating, and lots of major issues found in the company. I didn't know how bad they were and how toxic that environment was. I for some reason bought into the job concept at a weak point in my life when I never needed to. I don't know why to this day. But I knew at that very moment it would never happen like that again.

I learned a few things out of this incident though so it was not a complete failure:

• My time was more valuable than any dollar amount
• I will never work a job unless I have control of it
• There is a concept of enough money and there should be no shame in it
• There is no shame in retiring early even if others think you are being lazy
• Time spent with your family pays back more than money could ever buy
• I am in control of my own destiny and no one anywhere will ever control it for me and as a result this period in my life was my fault as I allowed it to happen and I will choose to allow it again
• If I want more money, then start my own business and create my own things
• No excuses - seriously.. none

I left, took time off. Used that time to start a new AI based voice business that patented some items that sold to Nuance. Used that to build things for the biometric world. Not all success, but each thing built to the next. I worked hard, smart, and on my schedule. There were days I would stop, look at my daughter, and just be like.. let's go to Disney. We would up and leave that day, that moment, sometimes for a week at a time. That was living. No job allows that.

This is a long post and I left details out.. but I had to share.

TL DR
F*ck a job, shitty bosses, horrible toxic work environments. Leave all your excuses at the door and make your own life what you want of it. There is no reason for you to deal with a shitty situation for a moment. There is every reason for you to work hard for yourself and no one else. Don't work hard to make your boss rich.

 

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[Aaron T]

Wow.. that was an old man ramble if there ever was one. I guess that place really angered me. I am sorry friends.

 

[MattR82]

I was fortunate in many ways realizing the Unscripted life early and quitting college, doing my own thing and loving it. I been more than happy with my life many times. But when I was young I didn't know how scripted the world was, how indoctrinated it was into the people around me, and I still thought a good job was a good thing. This is the story of one of those instances where things changed for me.

I was consulting for a while but decided to sell my consulting business. It as in Software Development and for some dumb reason I was not enamored with running it anymore even though it provided a good income. So I decided to take a few months off and start to build my "dream" home for that time. During the process of finding and funding my dream home I ran across a small mortgage firm that did specialized loans which was what I needed. For some reason the CEO convinced me that my skills would be helpful for them and to come work for them and build out their IT Infrastructure, their Software platforms, everything. It looked challenging so for some god awful reason I accepted this. Mind you this is after I was essentially retired, unscripted , building a multi-million dollar home with a small mortgage.

WTF was I thinking taking a job?

I have no idea. Briefly I bought into the notion that someone as young as I was at that time shouldn't be lounging around. My parents were on me that I need to work and my money wouldn't last. Insurance was expensive and a job would help me pay for it. I could build my retirement fund up even faster if I had the company 401k match and all. Yeah, I knew how to make money, but I was NOT smart about money, what I had, the value of time. I took the job. What ensued was a series of madness that got worse and worse over the years.

1. At first as we were smaller everyone was pretty nice but it didn't take long to realize company politics were incredibly toxic and nepotism was high
2. Work hours started at a leisurely 40 hours per week, but I was constantly asked for more and more and told to build the group
3. I hired over 40 people for IT/Software and hand built the entire company IT from the ground up including all the wiring/networking in a new office building
   1. 100 plus hour weeks donated to the company for that "sweet" 40 hour per week salary
   2. I had a IT Director title which I thought was important
   3. I had to manage everyone without another layer in between and I was constantly stressed out
4. Shortly after I got everything working and built up the CEO decided we needed a CTO.. I really thought it would be me
   1. He put his Uncle in charge as the CTO
   2. He gave his Uncle a huge salary that was orders of magnitude over mine
   3. His Uncle didn't even use a computer and had no idea how to push a mouse, double click or anything and then said the technical stuff was why I was there

OK so at this point I started getting frustrated and it was obvious. In a last ditch effort to keep me from leaving and the place from falling apart the CEO called me to his office with "Good" news. I was like maybe this is the bonus or something that I deserved. I quickly went up to his office and he told me that he was so happy for the work I been doing he will give me a much needed raise. He bumped me $3500 dollars. A YEAR. This is after working to the bone. He then gave me a basket of Oranges as bonus. Mind you I live in Florida. Oranges are not hard to find in Florida. I have them in backyard for free. I was shocked. He then said that over Christmas (few months away) I would be excited for what was coming and to hang tight.

I was disappointed but I thought a job was what I needed at this time so I stayed on. Believe it or not as bad as it was, that wasn't the thing that got me.

We were finishing a big paperless mortgage system that tied into an automated underwriting system. It will save the company millions and was a huge important project. I loved the work I was doing and loved the challenges so I doubled down. My home was being built and nearly finished and I was excited for that. I still had most of my money in the bank. Didn't need the work. But I thought the work was important and I needed to do it because that is what you are supposed to do at my age. Work until you can retire at a decent age. I was retired but still I bought into the script for unknown reasons.

Come end of October the system is ready to roll out. Happy times for all of us. My core team of 19 developers and I put in huge weeks, gave up on life, did everything so we could realize this system. We knew it would make millions for the company and save in overhead and time. The company planned a big Halloween party in the office and encouraged us all to come to the office in costumes. Party came, we were done, spirits are high. 3PM I got a call to go upstairs meet with CEO and President before the party. Go up, and he broke the news to me. They were going to lay off all the developers since they were not needed anymore and they wanted to start November off right. I had to bring them up to the room to deliver the news with HR so before the party started they would be out. They didn't want to damper the spirits.

Disbelief... Anger... Couldn't believe it.

I did what I was told. I took them up to the main conference room. Head of HR was there with packets. We were all in costumes. Hers? A clown outfit. Yes. It was that surreal. Everyone in my group were handed their papers and told to discreetly pack up and walk out. No severance. Nothing. Nearly a year of grueling work and that was the reward. They were highly compensated in at least they made Florida market rates for Developers, but again based on a 40 hour week not the 60+ that was required to get the job done on time. The reward? Getting kicked out so the company could save money.

The best part was the CTO, Uncle Bob, was coming into the building for the party about the time everyone was leaving. He rode up in a limo to the front of the building just as a couple of my guys were walking out, in costumes, boxes full of personal effects. He looked at them and laughed, then commented that he expected them to be gone before he showed up. It was so awful. I was escorting the poor guys out and he does that.

I couldn't contain myself. I thought, why am I doing this? I had it. I made more in my consulting gig working hours I chose to work (sometimes they were excessive then) in a month that I would get in a year. If I wanted an extra $3500 dollars then I would just do a little more work. Yes it was still changing time to value, but at a much higher level than any job. I happily sold the business. I happily retired. I then bought into the script that I was supposed to work. In return I had mostly misery for several years. I used my reputation to bring excellent developers into the business only to watch them get treated like shit and thrown out. All the while the CEO, President, and their relatives were benefiting and making millions off the company growth and stock.

My house was finished being built and I wasn't even home enough to enjoy it. My daughter was growing up and I rarely saw her. I would get up 3AM go the the office and come home at 9PM in time to kiss her goodnight. That day they let half my group go just to save a buck after this group gave them the software key to the mortgage universe, was the final straw.

It all became excessively clear to me in an instant. As the CTO was walking into the building and going to the party, I ran back inside and upstairs. I turned in my resignation. Avoided the arguments the CEO was making. Packed my stuff and walked out with my team. Shortly later nearly all of my team that had remained left.

By December their stock was delisted, Feds investigating, and lots of major issues found in the company. I didn't know how bad they were and how toxic that environment was. I for some reason bought into the job concept at a weak point in my life when I never needed to. I don't know why to this day. But I knew at that very moment it would never happen like that again.

I learned a few things out of this incident though so it was not a complete failure:

• My time was more valuable than any dollar amount
• I will never work a job unless I have control of it
• There is a concept of enough money and there should be no shame in it
• There is no shame in retiring early even if others think you are being lazy
• Time spent with your family pays back more than money could ever buy
• I am in control of my own destiny and no one anywhere will ever control it for me and as a result this period in my life was my fault as I allowed it to happen and I will choose to allow it again
• If I want more money, then start my own business and create my own things
• No excuses - seriously.. none

I left, took time off. Used that time to start a new AI based voice business that patented some items that sold to Nuance. Used that to build things for the biometric world. Not all success, but each thing built to the next. I worked hard, smart, and on my schedule. There were days I would stop, look at my daughter, and just be like.. let's go to Disney. We would up and leave that day, that moment, sometimes for a week at a time. That was living. No job allows that.

This is a long post and I left details out.. but I had to share.

TL DR
F*ck a job, shitty bosses, horrible toxic work environments. Leave all your excuses at the door and make your own life what you want of it. There is no reason for you to deal with a shitty situation for a moment. There is every reason for you to work hard for yourself and no one else. Don't work hard to make your boss rich.

HO... LY... SHIT.

That is just unbelievable. Like a scene from a movie.

 

[Raoul Duke]

I knew it was officially rigged when Taylor Swift won Best Video of the Year (VMA's) in 2009 over Beyonce! I was angrier than a Kanye.

 

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[jon.a]

Wow.. that was an old man ramble if there ever was one. I guess that place really angered me. I am sorry friends.

Yup, but I bet that you feel better.

 

[Aaron T]

Yup, but I bet that you feel better.

Yes. Yes I do.

 

[Van Halen]

I've had a few of these moments. One of my favorites:

At one point I thought about getting a job. I was done with college. One of my ventures failed. I still had passive income in the form of about $20,000 a year, but everyone was telling me that I was underperforming, that I should get a job, and I believed it.

So I applied to a handful of places. One of the places I applied to had an intense interview process.

Day 1 was meeting with the two directors. They grilled me on my resume, why I wanted to work there, etc. At the end of the interview, one of the directors took me aside and told me: "Why don't you just become an entrepreneur? You're obviously a smart kid, you don't need to get a job."

I should've ended the interview process there, but I thought screw it, I'll continue on and get experience interviewing with companies so that I can develop the interviewing skill set.

Day 2 was an informal coffee meeting with another two people under which I'd be working. Nothing too bad. Flew threw it.

Day 3 F*cking sucked. 6 hours of straight interviews. They had every single person in the company interview me one by one. They'd ask me questions. I'd answer with more or less the same response to each person. Then they'd ask if I had any questions for them. Then they'd leave and the next person would come in.

Each person I'd ask the same question at the end "What's great about working here?" And half of the people would have the same response: "Well, there's a lot of rewards. For example, if you're number 1 in the office, you get a bonus of $5,000 at the end of the year. If you're in the top 10, you get a paid trip to Cabo! It's really amazing. I was one of the ones that got to go last year and it really made all of this hard work feel worth it."

Meanwhile I'm sitting there thinking: "Are you F*cking serious? You work 60 to 100 hours a week all year, so that one week of the year you can go to Cabo? And that's what makes it all worth it? F*ck. I'm technically unemployed and not making that much money, but if I wanted to, I could be in Cabo tomorrow. And I sure as F*ck could afford to splurge for one week even though I only make a fraction of what you make. My highlight of the year would be same as yours but it wouldn't come at the cost of quasi-slavery."

So around the 6 hour mark of being interviewed, I had enough. And as someone was asking me a question across the conference room table, I unconsciously closed my eyes, put my head down, and laid there for 10 seconds before I realized what I was doing. Then when I looked up, I saw a really confused look on the other person's face. I apologized. Said I was tired. They said no worries. The interviews ended, and they told me to send an email if I was still interested in working there. I was not and never did send that email.

When I left that office I realized how shitty peoples' lives are. They have these "prestigious" jobs working downtown, where they wear a suit to work, make "6-FIGURES!!", get to walk around the office like a hotshot, but end of the year only thing they appreciated was going to Cabo for one week out of the year to forget how miserable their day to day is.

It was at that point that I decided I'd rather be a $20k a year passive income bum than a $100k a year brainwashed corporate slave.

Thats got to be the best comment I've read on this forum. Ever. Period. Brilliant, just Brilliant.

 

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[TheRegalMachine]

I always knew but like the naive mark walking into the carnival I thought I was too smart to get worked. Everyone else was doing it wrong, picking the wrong games. Thought I was picking game where I could get one over and win the big prize. I was so so wrong.
Post secondary schools I went to were charging me out the a$$ for stuff I could have learned on my own and at a quicker pace.
All my past jobs were "temp to hire", promising regular employment, and each one was using me to play catch up. Concluding with me being toss aside like yesterdays newspaper.
It took awhile to realize but I shouldn't have been playing the carny games at all, I should have been starting my own carnival.

 

[loop101]

When did you realize the system was rigged?

When Tower 7 fell.

 

[Scot]

When Tower 7 fell.

This is a thread about hating your day job. Not conspiracy theories. I worked for the government. They're too stupid to pull anything off.

 

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[loop101]

View attachment 16468

This is a thread about hating your day job. Not conspiracy theories. I worked for the government. They're too stupid to pull anything off.

FYI, America was created by a conspiracy.

 

[Aaron T]

FYI, America was created by a conspiracy.

Regardless.. not the point of this thread.

Let's get it back on topic please.

 

[amp0193]

And as someone was asking me a question across the conference room table, I unconsciously closed my eyes, put my head down, and laid there for 10 seconds before I realized what I was doing.

I lost it at falling asleep in the interview

Reading that post makes me want to go take some interviews... just to troll and have fun.

 

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[amp0193]

Wow.. that was an old man ramble if there ever was one. I guess that place really angered me. I am sorry friends.

No apologies needed. Good, and interesting story.

It's always good to be reminded of how non-green the grass on the other side can be. Especially in the times when entrepreneurship gets tough.

 

[Aaron T]

I lost it at falling asleep in the interview

Reading that post makes me want to go take some interviews... just to troll and have fun.

I have half the mind to start a new thread just for this purpose alone and we post the results.