Should we follow what impresses us?

Question

So I've been laid off lately, and now looking for things to do. I was a senior software engineer, coming from the mobile space but lately more general...I've been thinking about what to focus on next. (I bet some of you can relate) And I keep getting pushed to the subjects that really impress me like:- compiler / programming languages- AI image processing- homomorphic encryptionBut all of the above are hard. I've little experience, and it almost sounds scary to do it. Feels like the people in those fields are super smart etc.The question is - If those things were impressive to me for a few years now, why I didn't do anything about them?Maybe it sounds cool to be in compilers space, but maybe it's not cool, because you have to be very focused, read, and learn a lot. It's not as much hype as releasing a new side project with some cool website and earning a buck with SaaS.I'm beginning to doubt my motivations. HN Help

j2kun · Accepted Answer

I don't have any advice for you, but I do work on homomorphic encryption at Google and we have an FHE compiler project [1] (though it is likely going to change a lot in the coming year). I happen to have a math PhD, so the transition to this field was not a huge stretch, but before that I worked in supply chain optimization for data centers, and just decided this was too exciting to pass up.[1]: https://github.com/google/fully-homomorphic-encryption/issue...