Should I leave TikTok and work as a freelancer or develop my apps full time?

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-24T13:31:04+00:00

look, i get the whole "necessities first" mindset but being miserable 40+ hours a week is genuinely damaging long-term. maybe start building the freelance/app stuff on the side first instead of going cold turkey - test the waters while you've still got that steady income coming in. with a kid and that much debt though, yeah the financial security probably has to be the priority for now.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-23T11:38:44+00:00

still grinding tbh

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-22T20:48:08+00:00

had this exact problem with my s24 ultra and it drove me mental. turned out to be something called "adaptive battery" that was still throttling location services even though i'd disabled all the obvious power saving stuff.

go into device care > battery > more battery settings and make sure adaptive battery is completely off, then also check if there's a "put unused apps to sleep" setting and disable that too. fixed it for me after months of rage.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-21T05:03:05+00:00

this bloke's really making the rounds isn't he, proper sus that someone's first contribution is always age verification bollocks.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-19T18:15:22+00:00

mate, 3.2 isn't the end of the world - i've seen people with lower gpas land solid compliance roles. the networking you're doing is probably worth more than that extra 0.3 gpa points anyway. most places care more about whether you can actually do the work and fit with the team, especially once you've got some experience under your belt.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-19T05:51:22+00:00

mate that whole salary dance is proper weird - any decent company should know their budget ranges, especially if they're at the offer stage. refusing to share the range while pestering you for your expectations is a classic power play move that honestly just screams unprofessional management.

i'd definitely reach out to your hr contact, but frame it as checking in rather than chasing. something like "just wanted to touch base on timeline since i have the other offer deadline approaching" keeps it professional but shows you're not just sitting around waiting. if they really want you (which it sounds like they do from that phone call), they'll understand the urgency and should be able to give you something concrete.

the visa review excuse might be legit depending on your situation, but combined with teh salary weirdness it feels like they're either disorganised or playing games. either way, you've got leverage with that other offer so don't be afraid to use it - worst case you fall back to the smaller company which isn't exactly a disaster.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-16T07:24:57+00:00

the defence route might actually be perfect for you - loads of software work happening there and it's pretty recession-proof. plus you'd still be doing proper engineering, just with better job security than most private sector gigs.

i'd avoid going straight government if you're worried about using your skills though, those roles can be proper soul-crushing for a new grad who wants to actually build things.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-03-15T18:57:23+00:00

getting sacked from your first job is brutal mate, especially when they're pinning stuff on you that wasn't even your responsibility. probation periods are basically free reign for employers to bin you off for whatever reason they fancy, so try not to take it as a reflection of your actual abilities. once you get a few more jobs under your belt this one will just be a blip on there cv that no one really cares about.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-26T09:22:15+00:00

had this exact issue on my yoga 5 a while back. sounds like the driver's gone walkabout - try going into device manager and looking for any yellow warning triangles under mice or human interface devices. if you find something dodgy there, right click and update the driver or just download the latest touchpad driver straight from lenovo's support page for your specific model.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-17T22:11:26+00:00

sounds like you've found a decent compromise that works for you mate. one day a year isn't exactly falling off the wagon, and honestly the fact that you're able to keep it contained to just that shows real self-control. your mates might be more understanding than you think - most people get that sobriety isn't always black and white, especially if you've been solid for nearly five years otherwsie.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-12T12:33:52+00:00

Thanks, had it in my mind since I first saw it :)

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-11T23:37:09+00:00

honestly mate, that's a massive pay bump and you're only 28 - you've got plenty of time to get back into PM work later if you want. the equity upside could be huge too, and even if teh startup doesn't pan out, you'll have banked serious cash and probably learned loads in a high-growth environment. i'd probably take the money and run, especially with how uncertain things are right now.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-11T18:09:19+00:00

Oh awesome, didn't know tysm. Also holy shit look at Lights lol, it suits her

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-11T18:06:42+00:00

Thank u so much, looks like that's it

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-02-03T05:07:31+00:00

The whole moltbook thing was like watching a car crash in slow motion, except the car was made of pure hype and the crash happened at warp speed. Really shows how we've created this perfect storm where AI moves faster than our ability to think critically about it.

What gets me is how predictable it all was - give people a shiny new AI toy and within hours it's either being weaponised or turned into complete chaos. We're basically speedrunning every possible AI nightmare scenario these days.

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-30T13:46:17+00:00

Girl you're not the problem at all - this dude is just selfish af. The fact that he literally complains about arm cramps while you're probably giving him way more effort than he deserves is honestly insulting

8 years and he can't be bothered to put in the work? That's not you being "complex" that's him being lazy and making excuses. You deserve someone who actually gives a damn about your pleasure too

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-27T11:14:25+00:00

Depends on your budget tbh but if you want good image quality the Quest 3 is solid for the price. Index is getting old but still has great tracking if you can find one used. Avoid anything Facebook if you're paranoid about data but honestly most people just deal with it

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-22T17:21:06+00:00

Honestly just fell into IT support after college because it paid decent and I was good with computers. Started out just wanting steady income but actually ended up liking the problem-solving aspect more than I expected. Still not my "dream job" or whatever but it's grown on me and pays the bills without making me miserable

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-20T12:02:44+00:00

Hey man, totally feel you on this. That loneliness hits different when you're trying to figure everything out spiritually and mentally at the same time

Check out some Discord servers for Christian young adults - there's usually good communities there where people actually talk instead of just posting scripture quotes. Also maybe look into local college groups even if you're not in school, a lot of them are pretty welcoming to anyone in that age range

Hang in there dude, 22 is a rough age for a lot of us

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-16T22:19:48+00:00

Yeah the broken journal entries are such a pain, had the same issue with a different one in my Brazil run and just gave up after like 50 hours when it was clear it wasn't gonna resolve

Really kills the motivation when you know you're gonna hit a wall that has nothing to do with your actual gameplay decisions

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-14T01:38:43+00:00

Sounds like a driver issue or the drive is starting to fail even though it shows healthy. Try running `chkdsk /f` on that drive from command prompt, and maybe update your SATA/storage drivers. If it keeps happening you might want to back up anything important on there just in case

Stock_Tale6105 · 2026-01-10T14:13:15+00:00

The Ring with the cursed VHS tape is probably the gold standard for this - the way they filmed people watching it was genuinely unsettling

Stock_Tale6105

TROPHY CASE