Burnout, Side Projects & Slippers: Let's Talk About The Dev Struggle

Skyler Sorensen — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 01:25:45 +0000

Hey devs 👋

I'm Skyler and I'm a full-time software engineer, a husband, a dad to an amazing autistic son, an active member of my church, and the kind of guy who never knows where his shoes are because I live in slippers. (Thank you, remote job, and obliviousness to social acceptance.)

I’m also a Vue.js enthusiast, a lifelong learner, and a dark mode purist.

For the past several years, I’ve been trying to balance a lot — providing for my family, being present for them, serving others, and still chasing my own creative projects.

Sometimes I’ve pulled it off.

Other times, it’s been straight-up burnout.

I've lost count of the number of mornings I’ve woken up running on fumes because sleep was cut short (thanks, life), but still had to show up — at work, at home, for people who matter to me.

I’ve tried to optimize my routines, eat cleaner, work out… ha.

But in a season where time feels like a scarce resource, it’s hard to do all the "right" things.

And so, like many devs, I looked for shortcuts: supplements, energy drinks, hydration mixes, nootropics.

Some helped. Most didn’t.

One gave me an allergic reaction that, honestly, might’ve just unlocked a bonus level of ADHD.

At some point, I started getting curious — not just about how to feel better physically and mentally, but about how many other devs are quietly fighting the same battles.

How many of us are trying to build something great and be great for the people around us, with only 24 hours and a tired brain to work with?

Why I'm Posting This

I’m here because I think more of us should be talking about this stuff — the personal side of being a programmer.

The part that doesn’t make it onto polished resumes or conference talks.

So this is the start of a little series I’ll be posting on dev.to.

I’ll share the ups and downs of trying to build something new while juggling real life.

I’ll talk about energy (or lack thereof), focus, failure, fatherhood, side projects, and everything in between.

To solve my own struggle, I’m building something called Hackrabbit — a brand focused on helping devs stay energized, hydrated, and focused without the crash.

But I’d love to hear what you’re working on too — maybe we can help each other keep building cool stuff.

The bigger story is this:
I’m just a dev trying to figure it out.

And if you are too, maybe this can be a space where we swap stories and support each other along the way.

If that resonates, I’d love to have you follow along.

You can also join the Hackrabbit waitlist if you're curious, but no pressure.

See you in the next post.

DEV Community: Skyler Sorensen

Burnout, Side Projects & Slippers: Let's Talk About The Dev Struggle

Why I'm Posting This