I'm "Retiring" from Tech – Chad Whitacre, Head of Open Source, Sentry.io
bsky.appIncredible letter, thanks Chad
> AI was the last straw. Have you heard of that island off India where the indigenous population kills any outsiders fool-hardy enough to land? They are doing the rest of us a favor by preserving a way of life we may need again someday, or at the very least should not want to see completely extinguished.
> I haven't used a phone or the Internet in my personal life since February 6. To communicate with other humans, I use the USPS, or I maneuver my body into close proximity and vibrate air with my throat.
I am going to a commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time shorter than a season.
In New England weather that could be an hour. Just this week, we've had Spring, Summer, frost warnings, and 75F+ days.
It's a quote from "The Soul of a New Machine."
Yes, I just saw that in the other thread. I still stand by it!
I am retiring from tech to live offline - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48323683 - May 2026
bummer, Chad has been a great, positive force in tech
Yep.
Chad was one of two people who materially impacted my entrance onto the tech/startup in the early 2010s. In particular, he moved heaven and Earth to make sure I got to attend a conference when my employer decided to cancel my tickets shortly before I was planning to leave.
His PO Box is on his blog, send him a letter, tell him so. It will be worth the time to do so.