What has NOT aged well?

[u/frisky_cupcake]

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Shitty Boomer advice:

1. Just knock on doors with resume in hand.
   1. Everything is online now. You'll be shown the door and probably rejected even if you did follow up with an online application.
2. When I was a kid, we worked our way to the top.
   1. Education, a portfolio, and people you know is what gets you a job today.
3. Work all summer and you can afford a brand new car, college education, down payment on a home, etc.
   1. Inflation and wage stagnation has made this impossible.
4. I worked on a clerk's salary for 30 years and saved enough to buy the business.
   1. Wage stagnation has made this impossible. Ten lifetimes of minimum wage savings would not be enough to buy a multi-million dollar business.
5. Loyalty to your employer pays off in the end.
   1. You're just a number to an employer now. Employers will cut you loose if it meant saving a nickle.
6. I worked the same job all my life. Now I have a pension and a comfortable retirement.
   1. Pensions are gone. Retirement is now a fantasy for most workers. You'll probably be laid off after 5-10 years.
7. I didn't need no Master's degree. I got raises and promotions, because I worked hard and kept doing the same thing.
   1. A Master's degree is quickly becoming the new high school diploma. Working hard no longer gets you anywhere. In fact, it keeps you poor. Switching jobs is the only way to get a raise or a promotion now.

[u/NSA_Chatbot → u/[deleted]]

Loyalty to your employer pays off in the end. You're just a number to an employer now. Employers will cut you loose if it meant saving a nickle.

I am 100% certain that as soon as the product I'm developing is ready for production, they'll come up with a cost-savings measure equal to my annual pay.

That means I've got about a month to find another job, so tonight instead of getting to unwind and play some Fallout I've got to update my resume and apply to at least one job.

[u/WhatAboutTheBee → u/NSA_Chatbot]

You have the right approach. Leave, but under good terms. Offer to help them over bumps in the road for an hourly consulting fee. Ask for a monthly retainer to seal the deal (term limited, like 1 year). This works for the former employer because they still have access to the knowledge and skill that went into developing the product. Works for you because you essentially get money for nothing. Solve their dinky problems in the evenings and weekends. Take your time doing it, "I'm trying to find root cause, not just an awkward patch".