The Death of Work-Life Balance in Tech (And Why We Need to Revive It)
As a freelance software engineer with 25 years in the trenches of the tech industry, I’ve witnessed firsthand the slow, insidious death of work-life balance. What was once a field driven by innovation and creativity has become a burnout factory, churning out exhausted developers faster than the latest JavaScript frameworks. It’s time to call out this toxic culture for what it is: a productivity myth that’s killing innovation and crushing the human spirit.
Despite the tech industry’s obsession with long hours and “hustle culture,” I’ve found that true productivity peaks at about 10% of the time we claim to be “working.” The other 90%? A grueling mix of meetings, context-switching, and staring blankly at screens while our overworked brains struggle to function.
Let me share a revealing anecdote from my career. I once worked with a Silicon Valley startup that prided itself on its “24/7 work ethic.” Developers were expected to be available round the clock, Slack notifications buzzing at all hours. The CEO boasted about their “dedication.”
