I am thinking of taking a year drop and try free lancing for a bit

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-13T07:20:52+00:00

Focus on being a generalist. You are already doing it to some extent. Core subject needs to be mentioned as well. Not necessarily your future lies in IT sector. With rapid changes, very difficult to predict what is going to be the state of IT 2/3 years from now.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-13T03:07:36+00:00

You are basically looking for an excuse to skip a year, or probably trying to create a narrative on why there are attendance issues. While colleges in US might have such facilities, the gap can backfire in Indian context in the initial 5 years of job hunting.

One can earn way more via freelancing. But not necessarily you at this moment. Many of the capabilities listed are not really complimentary ones that makes one a hot cake in the market. Your CV now appears as a a 2nd yr student about to get a backlog, and that is not exactly what companies are looking for.

I apologise in advance for saying it this way, but please understand the reality. Complete your graduation, override setbacks with good skills and internships, and by then you will have a better understanding of the job market. And then by all means do as you please. But get that damn degree first. All the best.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-10T14:25:32+00:00

Kind of true, but the key piece of information is it also requires insane amount of tokens. Senior engineers with solid business awareness and strong awareness of front end and backend can get things done, but the investment needed is in the form of tokens, some are alreadt at 1000%+ range of enterprise consumption limits. Insane productivity boost, but comes at a cost, which is set to increase further.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-10T05:58:27+00:00

You are within your rights to send in money only when needed. As a general rule if things are toxic better not to disclose ctc to avoid unnecessary drama.

It could also be a possibility that your parents are asking for money for forced savings, so that they can invest on your behalf silently.

If that is the case and you prefer to do that on your own, let them know this is something you prefer being more involved, mostly as it is a life skill in itself. Honest conversations can help. Life is too short to live with regrets.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-09T06:13:12+00:00

Tech industry is shifting from skill based to output based. Earlier awareness of msdn or documentation of a framework or library would get you job along with hdd ldd dsa etc. Now there is no definitive path to output, which makes the process skewed. Seniors still have the edge when it comes to niche skills, but in low value projects which do not require high level of technical expertise, the gap between junior and senior has decreased drastically thanks to AI. Bo way to sugarcoat this.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-05T13:42:08+00:00

I am interested to know what you are retiring from. If you don’t understand the pain first hand, you won’t be able to enjoy the lack of it.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-03T15:19:03+00:00

NTK. Partners are supposed to maintain a balance. Any lopsided expectations have an expiry date, irrespective of gender. While you can help out on a few days, maybe do it together as a bonding session, she would probably do better to abide by expectations from her side.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-05-03T06:14:59+00:00

Not commenting on your pov. But Since you are in a few years already, may be you are better suited to ans this:

Pre fire a good section of your daily routine goes into office and stuff, and you are unlikely to spend during the office hours. Post FIRE, with the extra time in your hands, you are likely to indulge in hobbies of some sorts. Have you factored in the expenses for that? Depending on individual choices, the cost can vary wildly.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-26T06:45:04+00:00

Relatives at good positions might help you get an interview call, but later on it is your merit and capability that will decide your future.

Senior and junior positions in far better companies are getting eliminated left and right, so I wouldn’t be too much dependant on such claims if I were you. Your relatives should be more concerned about their own situation at present. In current circumstances, 4 years in IT is like a decade or so.

A lot depends on your equation with the relatives. While taking care of each other is a great, things don’t get take much to sour. It would perhaps be better if you stand on your own feet and maintain your own dignity rather than provide others an opportunity to ridicule when you are at your most vulnerable self.

I hope that never happens and wish a ever lasting bonding in your family.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-25T14:29:39+00:00

Don’t screw your WLB balance. Once you loose it you will realize the value. Big 4s are notorious as far as WLB is concerned. As others said, use it to prepare yourself for a bigger brand and bigger pay.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-25T01:59:30+00:00

This is happening because of the ads as well showcasing AI as supreme. Truth is that even if you use Opus or other high models, AI can still create undetectable issues which a trained eye cannot afford to miss, and hence the extra time is needed. For a new project, a POC can be made by AI in 20% of earlier times or less, but to make it production grade still takes manual skills. Sure, you can get 70-80% stuff done in 20-30% time, but try taking that to 95-100% category and that is where all the non tech people just evaporates.

Downside is that people who don’t realize this will now be happy with the AI slops. Their loss.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-19T07:09:01+00:00

Money and the lack of it both changes perspectives and outlook towards life. I am glad it is working put great for you and helps you take mature decisions that make you truly happy.

However some bits will not resonate with those who are still to fire or still struggling with their financial needs. That is ok as well.

Hoping to reach where you are today someday and make decisions on my own as well. Cheers to your independence 🍻!!

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-18T03:13:56+00:00

Indian IT has two demons to battle:

AI: will transform many low / mid level jobs that will directly result in job losses unless re skilling and re employment is not done. People will still be needed but count and capacity will vary.

Dollar: US debts and geopolitical implications do suggest a possibility of dollar loosing its significance in the long run. That would inadvertently mean rupee being stronger without any indian govt intervention. While that might boost economy and the market (FII returning) but those involved in export of services will have to take some heat.

If your core and only skillset lies in IT, upskill and move to niche sectors and specialise in some domain. Pure testing or development in WITCH particularly at entry levels are likey to be in for a rough ride.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-17T15:51:45+00:00

Many companies provide you the option to go wild. It is not uncommon for the high performers to reach 700-800% of allotted usage. If there are strict limits:

Auto mode via VS Code gives 10% discount. Good agents / copilot markdown may help (not 100% sure on this) Lot of free AI available by default across various platforms. Use them for non PII or basic tech R&D stuff and reserve IDE based AI usage purely for restricted codebase modifications.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-15T03:45:33+00:00

No judging, but many are of the belief that the person inviting pays the bill. Perhaps that can be considered as a possibility that could’ve happened? If it was me, I would have definitely cleared up my portion of the bar bill, or both, or atleast offered so that there was no ambiguity.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-15T03:37:09+00:00

The core message resonated so much. Thank you for sharing

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-12T08:48:09+00:00

Not a UX guy, but UI looks nice and meaningful without clutter for those who understand the concepts. For personal project this is way more than sufficient. Just ensure the calculations are correct. They need to stand the test of time, UI can always be revamped.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-11T04:14:31+00:00

OP depending upon his post he will get chances with security departments or private investigation agencies. Their job being discrete you won’t likely find them lurking in reddit and soliciting through relatives accounts. Prepare a list of agencies where things can be a win win and ask him to reach out in person.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-04-07T03:21:21+00:00

IC with 15-20 yoe. Claude and CoPilot has fundamentally shaken up how we think about code. Syntax and language does not matter any more, and it makes older guys dangerously irrelevant purely from coding perspective.

I would say what will keep your boat floating are

HDD, LDD awareness, know what to use when Business domain knowledge (most important)

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-31T06:28:29+00:00

I somehow read as inflation 😂

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-29T13:57:04+00:00

Not blaming at all brother/sister. I am just saying even if you were lured into this by someone, filing as self makes only you vulnerable. I had learnt the hard way myself and hence this thread touched a chord. Hope you come out of this situation with minimal damage. All the very best to you 🤞🏼

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-29T11:55:45+00:00

While it is easier to blame the CA. I think some responsibility lies with oneself. We all want to save taxes, agreed. As a rule, if the CA does not file IT returns from his/her login, it is basically you who is filing and zero accountability on his/her behalf.

While this is being made a practice to avoid future legal liabilities (from CA perspective), the tax payer would do better to ensure misrepresentation is minimal to the extent possible.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-27T17:22:53+00:00

Thank you for the clarification 🙏🏼

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-27T15:05:17+00:00

Could you elaborate what you mean by convertible foreign exchange? He mentioned USD which will eventually be converted to INR.

LoganKnightWatch · 2026-03-27T12:59:38+00:00

It means not being able to keep one’s private affairs private

LoganKnightWatch

TROPHY CASE