# 100 Days After My Layoff as an Engineer… The Truth

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer-the-truth
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer-the-truth.md
Podcast: [AsianDadEnergy's Substack Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112)
Published: 2026-04-08T10:50:29+00:00
Episode link: https://asiandadenergy.substack.com/p/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193561437/afd830edb12c99dd9c92e2e09f485895.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/episodes/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer-the-truth
Duration seconds: 680

## Resource

It’s been over 100 days since I was laid off from Big Tech after a 25+ year career in the tech industry. What followed wasn’t panic or fear, but something far more complex: a complete rewiring of how I think about work, identity, and purpose. The Shock of Losing More Than a Job At first, the layoff felt surreal. There was a brief period of disorientation like a system crash without an error message. I applied to jobs almost reflexively, not out of desire, but habit. Work had become part of my identity, and without it, I was left asking uncomfortable questions: * Who am I without my job? * What was the point of all those late nights and sacrifices? Even without financial stress (thanks to years of saving and investing), I felt something unexpected: shame . The Hidden Mental Toll of Tech Layoffs Scrolling through LinkedIn only made things worse. Everyone seemed to be thriving getting promoted, starting new roles while I felt left behind. It created a distorted reality where I was the only one “failing.” Reducing social media consumption became a turning point. Slowly, the shame faded. I began to see how much of my self-worth had been tied to external validation. Freedom Feels… Strange With time came an unfamiliar sensation: freedom. But freedom isn’t always comfortable. Without deadlines, pressure, and constant problem-solving, I experienced what I can only describe as stress withdrawal . The absence of challenge felt… empty. So I created my own. * Building side projects * Learning new skills * Creating content * Spending meaningful time with family Redefining Accomplishment In Big Tech, solving high-stakes problems brought intense satisfaction. But it also made everything else feel insignificant. Now, that’s changing. Cooking a great meal for my family. Learning somethi…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/episodes/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer-the-truth/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/100-days-after-my-layoff-as-an-engineer-the-truth.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.