Ask HN: How can I use my time outside of work to improve the world?

[howtousethetime]

I've been working as a software engineer at big tech companies for about ten years, and while I've made a lot of money, when I look back on what I've built during that decade I don't see a lot that I feel has improved the world. I see a lot of products that have been shuttered and features that cause people to spend more time looking at ads. This doesn't make me feel very proud of how I've spent that decade.

In the meantime, I look around and see a lot of 'real' problems that need solving. And it occurs to me that the skills I've chosen to develop, while lucrative, aren't positioning me to make the kind of impacts I'm itching to make.

(As I write this I see this post bubbling upwards https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29757049 so perhaps I'm not alone in this sentiment)

I'm not ready to leave my job, or perhaps I just don't know where I'd go if I did, so I make a point of donating extra income. In the process I've learned there are organizations like givewell that provide guidance on how to maximize the impact of a donation.

And it got me wondering, have there have been similar attempts at providing guidance for people who would like to maximize the impact of their time? This is probably an orders of magnitude harder challenge, because money is fungible and skilled labor is not, but if such a service was available it would be exactly what I'm looking for.

If there is no such thing, I'd love to hear what ideas HN'ers have on ways to spend spare labor in ways that makes them feel like they're contributing to important problems. (Improving their community, fighting climate change, supporting the underprivileged, ect)

Givewell has a feature where some of its suggested donation targets list approximately how much money they need to save a human life. Wouldn't it be fascinating if there was a volunteer opportunity, that anyone could participate in, that could promise a human life saved after a certain number of hours of labor?

For those that don't feel this itch, I'm curious what skillsets you've developed and where you've taken your career?

[ipaddr]

Take a shovel and see who needs a free snow removal. Make soup for an older person. No need to make it complex.

[DoreenMichele]

Become a YIMBY. Get involved locally. Become a landlord offering units below $600/month, even if just renting out a spare room of your own home.

Lack of affordable housing in the US is a huge issue. We have underbuilt for decades while tearing down SROs and it is a root cause of homelessness.

/2¢

[howtousethetime]

Becoming a landlord and offering below market rent is an interesting suggestion I've never considered. Previously I've had concerns about buying property with the intention to rent because by purchasing the property at all I'm applying upward pressure on housing prices. Its definitely worth thinking about, thanks!

[Arete314159]

Most of the problems facing the world today (climate change, inequality) can only be addressed with large communities of people working in concert.

By contrast, most of the communications technology out there right now is social media that has algorithms which encourage outrage over action, and division over community building.

I personally would love a not-for-profit tool to connect with like-minded folks and organize for social change, by region and by subject area, without all of the manipulation inherent in social media today.

[howtousethetime]

I'd love that too, although I wonder if some of the negative behaviors that emerge in social media are more inherent to human nature than the implementation of the media... Which is not to say current companies are doing all they should, but I suspect preventing these behaviors will be a genuine challenge for anyone attempting to implement any form of social media. I could see myself contributing though if there was a promising project in progress.

[meristohm]

Thanks, and I hope you find something fitting!

What do you consider improvement?

In my case I put extra time into helping the land I live on become more biodiverse, towards resilience as climate changes. I don’t have much spare money, so in my main work (parent/homemaker) I focus on helping my child grow up emotionally stable, physically active, intellectually engaged, and respectful of other life. Destruction is easier than synthesis. There’s no magic button to fix our challenges. Lobbying for fair regulation of energy, transport, and agriculture might be a good use of your resources. We seem to be consuming too much when there are ways to live healthy, engaged lives using far less energy.

[howtousethetime]

That sounds like a great project, I live in the midwest and spend a lot of time trying to eradicate garlic mustard and buckthorn from my property. If you happen to have any resources on hand about how to promote environmental health with resilience to climate change in mind I'd love to read them.

[k0t0n0]

Help people you know in return of nothing.

[landemva]

Adopt a couple miles of road and get some neighbors to help bag the trash there a few times a year. Stay local, small, and meet new people.

[skyde]

How about something to improve education of all kid ( rich and poor) around the world?

Something like Kahn academy!

If you are interested contact me!

[howtousethetime]

I love this idea, and have been interested in seeking out opportunities to teach or aid in education in general. I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with HN to know how to send you a message other than a comment, but I'd be intrigued to hear more about what you have in mind.

[jamjamjamjamjam]

Why not live a consistent lifestyle and quit your job for less pay and more meaning?

[howtousethetime]

A good idea, but unfortunately I tried this for a year and found that without the structure of a work day to keep me moving I slipped into depression. Ultimately I decided I needed to be working with others for the sake of my mental health.

[kleer001]

Keep it local. Get to know your neighbours.