Day in the Life of a Laid Off Big Tech Engineer

Hello world.Not long ago, I was a senior software engineer in Big Tech, part of an industry that once felt like the unstoppable engine of the modern economy. For more than 25 years, my days were structured around product launches, sprint cycles, code reviews, and the comforting illusion that there would always be another project waiting on Monday morning.Then came an unexpected change in employment status.These days I describe myself, with only mild irony, as an involuntary early retiree.And like many people who suddenly find themselves outside the machinery of corporate life, I’ve been experimenting with a new challenge: how to structure a day that feels productive, meaningful, and only slightly like I’m turning into a house cat.The Morning RitualMy day begins early, as all respectable adults’ days do with a heroic march into the bathroom followed by fifteen minutes of doom scrolling on the toilet.Markets. Layoffs. Wars. The usual morning news.Eventually my legs fall asleep, which is nature’s way of telling me it’s time to brush my teeth and attempt to resemble a functioning member of society.Next comes coffee.Not just drinking coffee, staring deeply into coffee, waiting for the caffeine to reinstall my operating system.At some point, Leonard the cat appears demanding emotional support. His sister remains asleep somewhere in the house, contributing absolutely nothing to household productivity which, if we’re being honest, probably makes her the most successful member of the household right now.Exercise and Existential SunrisesAfter coffee comes thirty minutes of exercise: treadmill, weights, and the vague sense that unemployment is supposed to be the moment when one finally gets into the best shape of one’s life.Out the window, the sun rises.It’s beautiful, peaceful even.There’s something oddly comforting about a sunrise when you’re unemployed. It’s a quiet reminder that the universe is vast, ancient, and largely indifferent to your LinkedIn profile.The Morning ChaosSoon the house transitions into its daily brief but intense period of chaos.Kids running everywhere.My wife waking up.Cats weaving between legs like tiny furry assassins.But eventually we achieve the objective: children successfully delivered to school.With the house temporarily calm again, my wife and I sit down for breakfast while listening to the news, carefully calibrated information designed to keep us properly aligned with reality.The Professional Part of UnemploymentOnce nourished, I head to the computer to begin the day’s “work.”First, editing short videos for my vlog.Then writing essays for my newsletter where I attempt to sound wise about the tech industry despite having roughly the same information as everyone else.Next comes my daily Chinese reading practice. My goal is modest but ambitious: eventually reaching the literacy level of a motivated middle school student.After that, I respond to YouTube comments, which is important because the internet must always be answered.Lunch, Stir-FriedAround midday, I begin cooking.Today’s menu: pork and turnip stir-fry.Because nothing says “retired tech worker” quite like aggressively stir-frying pork at 11:45 in the morning.Lunch with my wife is honestly one of the highlights of the day: simple, quiet, and surprisingly satisfying.Afterward comes Coffee Number Two, which is critical for preventing my transformation into a fully non-functional daytime zombie.The Afternoon: Building SomethingIn the afternoon I usually get a couple of hours of focused time working on a mysterious and disruptive side project.In Silicon Valley language, this means:I’m building something that might make money… eventually.Some days I also do coaching sessions, which I genuinely enjoy. It’s nice talking to real humans instead of APIs, code repositories, and comment threads.Evening: The Second ShiftSoon enough, it’s time to pick up the kids.Dinner is chaotic again, but everyone is eating the food I cooked, which counts as a major victory.Later I help my son with homework, which mostly involves pretending I still remember algebra from the 1990s.Eventually homework is done, and I tuck my daughter into bed.These quiet moments, the ones that used to happen while I was still answering Slack messages now feel like unexpected gifts.The Sacred Night RitualFinally, the day ends with the sacred evening ritual:Consuming large amounts of completely mindless content on the internet.Strictly for research purposes, of course.And then, sleep.The Strange Gift of TimeSo that’s a typical day in my life.And honestly?Funemployment isn’t so bad.It’s slower. Less structured. Occasionally existential.But it also contains small moments that used to be invisible, sunrises, lunches with my wife, cooking in the middle of the day, helping with homework, putting my daughter to bed.In an industry obsessed with optimization, productivity, and constant growth, it’s easy to forget that life itself is not a sprint cycle.Sometimes it’s just a long day filled with coffee, cats, stir-fry, and the quiet possibility that something new might eventually emerge from all that free time.And if you’re curious to follow along on this strange little journey through tech, layoffs, side projects, and the occasional existential sunrise, you’re always welcome to join me. Get full access to AsianDadEnergy's Newsletter at asiandadenergy.substack.com/subscribe