A few weeks ago, I talked about what it’s really like in tech right now. Yesterday, I read “Death of the Corporate job” by Alex from the substack “Still Wandering” which struck a chord.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the old blueprint doesn’t work anymore. The promise of a corporate ladder with steady rungs feels like a relic. People aren’t just losing jobs; they’re losing the identity that came with those jobs. Meanwhile, “just work harder” is still treated like a strategy. Spoiler: the secret wasn’t working harder. It was designing backwards.
For me, the shift began when I stopped designing my life around my job and started designing my job around the life I wanted. As a parent, that meant recognising that the 9‑to‑5 model was never built for two full‑time caregivers. As a professional, it meant admitting that I didn’t have all the answers about AI and embracing learning in public. I committed to sharing my journey from the overwhelm of staying on top of school emails to the curiosity of experimenting with ambient agents. That vulnerability created connection and opened doors that the corporate playbook never did.
Today, I’m not chasing titles; I’m building systems. I scan my kids’ documents into Notion to free up brain space. I use AI to draft school lunch menus and reduce decision fatigue. I block 15‑minute windows to learn, tidy and automate because designing work happens in small, consistent increments. And I translate all of it into plain language so non‑tech people can benefit too.
Maybe the corporate dream is dead, but something better can take its place if we’re willing to design it. Our value isn’t measured by how many Slack pings we answer or how late we stay online; it’s measured by the outcomes we deliver and the lives we lead outside of work.
If you’re feeling the tension between the world you were sold and the life you want, you’re not alone. The path forward may not be clear, but we get to draw the map.
Working harder won’t save you. Designing smarter will.
This is so true, and I'm experiencing it right now. Working on creating the life I want and not organizing the life around the job 🙏🏻
AMEN! I opt for hot lunch at school which is my favorite mom-hack.