Making software for serving ads can start to make one start to feel like a bit unfulfilled and coming from a more physics based engineering field one feels like one is doing dirty work to help modern day Don Drapers get rich. Like many I know, we entered the field since building software can be a fun technical challenge and decent money.

Have people gone back into writing? More "classical engineering" (i.e. physics based), though rare in NYC area where I'm based? Maybe gone into some policy work?

Since this forum is still consists of many current engineers, curious to hear stories of those you know.