I recently accepted a job that pays roughly four to five times more than my previous role, so financially it has been a huge improvement. The downside is that I'm the agency's only developer, and the workload is becoming exhausting.
There are no consistent working hours, the founder wants everything shipped quickly, and project requirements sometimes expand after work has already started. I understand that this can happen in agency and startup environments, but I'm increasingly drained by it. After work, I rarely have energy for exercise, hobbies, learning, or building anything of my own. Some days I feel so burned out that I do nothing at all.
I don't want to quit impulsively because the salary is genuinely valuable, but I also don't want to spend the next year completely consumed by this job. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? What practical steps helped you protect your time and energy without immediately giving up the income?
5 Answers
Start by having a direct, calm conversation with the founder. Explain that the current pace is unsustainable and propose concrete boundaries, such as defined working hours, clearer priorities, and a process for handling scope changes. Since you’re the only developer, you probably have more leverage than you realize—replacing and training someone would be difficult. The mistake many people make is waiting until they’re already completely burned out.
Don’t treat the salary as a reason to ignore what your health and personal life are telling you. If you stay for now, give the money a purpose: build savings and set a specific financial target or exit date. Having a clear endpoint can make a difficult period feel more manageable. At the same time, start looking for roles with similar pay and better staffing rather than quitting without a backup.
I’ve also learned that a lower-paying job with reasonable hours can be worth far more if it gives you back your health, relationships, and time. The best option may be a better balance rather than maximizing income indefinitely.
Make recovery the priority for a while. You don’t have to use every free hour for fitness, content creation, or a startup project. Eat properly, sleep enough, and take genuine breaks before adding more commitments. If the exhaustion continues or starts affecting your health, that’s a sign to seek professional support and accelerate your plan to change jobs rather than trying to simply endure it.
Another possible compromise is asking the company to hire another developer, even if that means accepting less compensation temporarily. For example, you could suggest reducing your pay somewhat in exchange for bringing in support. It may be worth it if the extra person turns an unsustainable workload into a normal one, though the company should ultimately be responsible for staffing its projects properly.
Try fixing the operating model before deciding whether to leave. Set a realistic weekly capacity, rank tasks by business impact, and make the founder choose what gets delayed when new work appears. Avoid silently absorbing every scope change. If they refuse reasonable boundaries or expect constant availability, that gives you useful information—keep the job while saving aggressively and search for something healthier.
The real danger isn’t working hard for a limited period; it’s waking up a year later with no evenings, hobbies, energy, or health left. A high salary only works if the cost is still acceptable to you.
That was my experience too. Once I finally spoke up, the founder was more receptive than expected because I had been delivering everything and they didn’t realize how bad things had become.