I want to leave tech: what do I do?

Tech workers seeking more meaningful careers have several alternatives to traditional corporate roles. Options include working for public institutions on software that impacts millions, joining tech cooperatives where workers own and control their workplace, contributing to NGOs that use technology for social causes like civil rights and environmental protection, supporting unions or political parties with technical infrastructure, teaching and mentoring others, or becoming a connector between different tech-focused social organizations. Each path offers different levels of stability, impact, and responsibility while allowing professionals to use their existing technical skills for purposes beyond profit maximization.