# Big Tech Laid Him Off. He Realized He Didn't Need a Job. -- Asian Dad Energy

DevFeed: [Big Tech Laid Him Off. He Realized He Didn't Need a Job. -- Asian Dad Energy](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/big-tech-laid-him-off-he-realized-he-didn-t-need-a-job-asian-dad-energy-38707.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://dataengineeringcentral.substack.com/p/big-tech-laid-him-off-he-realized>)

Author: Daniel Beach

Published: 2026-09-09T14:07:55Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Data Engineering Central](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/data-engineering-central.md>)

Topics: [Job](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/job.md>), [future of software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/future-of-software.md>), [Software Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-engineering.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [cobol](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cobol.md>), [mainframes](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mainframes.md>), [ibm](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ibm.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [career](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/career.md>), [cobol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cobol.md>), [future-of-software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/future-of-software.md>), [ibm](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ibm.md>), [job](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/job.md>), [layoff](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/layoff.md>), [mainframes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mainframes.md>), [software-engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-engineering.md>), [tech](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tech.md>)

## AI overview

A Data Engineering Central Podcast episode features AsianDadEnergy discussing his career from BASIC, IBM 386 systems, and COBOL mainframes to consulting and a chief architect role in Big Tech, followed by a layoff. The conversation covers financial independence, AI's effects on software engineering, communication skills, identity beyond work, and content creation.

## Source excerpt

Data Engineering Central Podcast