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Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

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11–18 of 18 posts

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#11
Learning a functional language (and way of thinking) was pretty enlightening to me.

I've also been looking into learning a bit about machine learning and data science via https://www.kaggle.com/. They run contests with some very interesting problems.

I don't know if these are the next 'big things' but i certainly don't regret learning them.

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#12
post #10

I don't think learning another new language or admin tool is going to really make a big difference ( it's an easy thing to learn once you know all the previous one). Since you have no CS education, i'd think you should improve your math / algorithmic skills. Such as : -logic / type theory kind of skills. Seing how the recent batch of PL ( rust, swift) are influenced by research, i bet a lot of the industry is going t…

What does 'prooves' mean?

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#13
Haskell is not the Next Important Thing, but rather the ideas that it reifies. When Haskell is yesterday's news, the successful ideas will remain, but in the next generation language. That said, learning Haskell will put you in front of these big ideas, and I believe will make you valuable. That said, keep an eye on Idris, and dependent types.

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#14
post #12
post #10

I don't think learning another new language or admin tool is going to really make a big difference ( it's an easy thing to learn once you know all the previous one). Since you have no CS education, i'd think you should improve your math / algorithmic skills. Such as : -logic / type theory kind of skills. Seing how the recent batch of PL ( rust, swift) are influenced by research, i bet a lot of the industry is going t…

What does 'prooves' mean?

sorry, i'm not a native english. i meant formal proofs.

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#17
post #11

Learning a functional language (and way of thinking) was pretty enlightening to me. I've also been looking into learning a bit about machine learning and data science via https://www.kaggle.com/ . They run contests with some very interesting problems. I don't know if these are the next 'big things' but i certainly don't regret learning them.

Me too. I found advanced C# expression shenanigans very confusing. Then I learned Haskell. Now I see the C# but think the Haskell and it is a lot easier to deal with even the most hardcore expression jujitsu that I see in the codebase.

And that is just one example.

Re: Ask HN: Time to update my skills. What should I do?

#18
post #8

Maybe it's time to start a project of your own? (startup?)

I agree with this. The act of delivering a solution to paying customers tends to bubble correct enough solutions to the top. The optimal choice of platform/stack and other dodads are a function of this.
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