A real story about trust, friendship, and the hard lesson of keeping emotions out of your job. Learn why you should give your best — but never give your heart to work.
Why You Should Never Romance with the Job
You may have already read many articles about why you should treat your job as just a job.
But this one is different — it’s not from theory or philosophy. It’s from experience. A hard, real-life one.
The Start of Trust
Last year in April, I joined a company owned by one of my friends.
I had already worked with him before — part-time — and helped him complete a few successful projects. Because of that trust and past experience, he offered me a full-time position to help lead their main product.
And I accepted it without hesitation. After all, friendship plus passion for work — what could go wrong?
When Things Went Wrong
At first, everything seemed fine. But soon, I started to notice small cracks.
A few part-time engineers complained about late payments. Some even mentioned they hadn’t been paid at all for months.
Initially, I didn’t think too much about it — I believed my friend would handle it.
But after a few months, the same thing started happening to us — the full-timers. Salaries were delayed. Promises were made. Explanations came and went.
The Hard Truth
When I decided to dig deeper, the truth shocked me.
He had used the money meant for salaries and project expenses to invest elsewhere — and later, he quietly migrated to another country, leaving the team behind.
Months later, he sent me a WhatsApp message as if nothing had happened.
I responded, probably with a bit of emotion — because it wasn’t just about the money. It was about trust, hard work, and the long nights we spent believing we were building something meaningful together.
His reply was short.
Cold.
The actual message I received that day.
And that was the moment I truly learned what it means when people say:
“Never romance with your job.”
The Lesson
No matter how much you love what you do — don’t tie your self-worth, your peace of mind, or your relationships to your employer or company.
Do your best. Work hard. Be proud of what you build.
But don’t let your emotions blind your judgment.
Because jobs will change. Companies will change. People will change.
And at the end of the day — you are the only one who will face the consequences of how much you gave, trusted, or sacrificed.
So, don’t romance with your job.
Spend time with your loved ones — your family, your friends, the people who truly matter.
Respect your work, give your best, but remember to keep your heart for life — not for work.
Have you ever trusted a company or person too much — and paid the price for it?