I have achieved some consolation for pouring years of my life into technologies which I should have known would become obsolete by spending the last few years studying classical languages (mostly Attic Greek), the knowledge of which will never be obsolete. I believe there is also some value in studying the classics of Computer Science as well (Turing, Shannon, McCarthy, Graham, Dijkstra, etc.), and doing CS archeology (building retro computers from old parts, etc.).

This knowledge won't help me get a job as a coder at an SV startup, but it does help me to understand why I shouldn't try to get it, and to ease the discomfort of a fate of relative poverty.