Did you plan your retirement?

🧓 Any software engineer can experience a kind of “early retirement” — sometimes chosen, sometimes forced. And i want to emphasize how important its to prepare for the end of an engineering career — and how to navigate it.

For many, its hard to imagine what stepping away from engineering feels like. So let me try to explain it from a different angle.

Imagine you’re 40 or 45. From today, you’re not allowed to write code anymore. No more building products, fixing bugs, reviewing PRs, or discussing system architecture. You can’t touch your favorite editor. You’re left with an empty GitHub graph, no standups, and no more income. You can’t return to what you’ve been mastering for 15–20 years. It’s over. Finite.

That’s a reality many engineers eventually face — whether due to burnout, layoffs, AI disruption, or just life. And it’s one most of us are not prepared for.

That’s why I believe you need to start building a parallel path while you’re still active. A new occupation, a different income stream, or simply a life outside the code. My strongest recommendation: start now, not later.

💰 First, long-term financial planning is essential. Not everyone wants to think about it, but everyone needs it. Talk to professionals. Find someone with real financial knowledge and the integrity to match. The right advice early on makes a world of difference.

💡 Second, finding a new passion after engineering isn’t simple. Writing code gives many of us a deep sense of flow and purpose. Losing that can be devastating. So start experimenting now. Try things — whether it’s teaching, writing, mentoring, creating tools, starting a company, or working in a completely different field.

One thing I know for sure: engineers love to solve problems. We crave challenges, not idleness. We need something to sink our teeth into. Doing nothing isn’t an option for most of us.

🎯 This isn’t just for those at the end of their careers. It’s a valuable exercise for every engineer: sit down and ask yourself — if coding disappeared from my life tomorrow, what would I do next?

As for me, I’m grateful I’ve started to find new challenges that give me meaning outside of my IDE. It’s not the same — but it’s something real.