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Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

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Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#61

Post by di4na »

Cyph0n wrote: post #58
n00b101 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, cool startups don't have any code issues, so there's nothing to track.

>> # Elixir + Phoenix is the future -- Python/Ruby/Java are too mainstream for us >> vi main.ex >> # No tests needed thanks to BEAM ;) >> git add -A >> # No need for descriptive commit messages; we spend our time on the important stuff ;) >> git commit -m 'New commit' >> # Rockstars push straight to production >> git push origin master Am I doing this right?? /s

As an elixir dev the "no test needed" hurt. As someone that had to deal with explaining why VCS is important it burns.

But elixir does not have main file so it is ok :p

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#62

Post by alonmower »

ivan_gammel wrote: post #52
ioda wrote: post #45

As someone who runs a startup,here are some personal observations. I would say, a PM has to understand the user needs, and drive the product. The former has got two parts 1. Understanding the user needs which the user can articulate 2. Understanding the user needs which the users cannot articulate. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best coders. Though I greatly admired their intellectual capability,…

Generally, PM does not need to understand user needs and drive product. It's a job for other people (product management, ux/cx analysts etc). The PMs primary function is to facilitate communication in the extended team, so that it will achieve the desired goals in given time, and this means his focus is internal, not external.

I believe PM in the context of the original post was referring to product management, not project management

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#63

Post by soneca »

I am on a similar path, if with a much lower opportunity cost. I am 37 years old, one failed startup as a founder, a few marketing roles on other modest startups and some years as social project manager on the resume.

I decided to quit my last job and study full time to become a developer. Not through a bootcamp, but through cheap or free resources online. I chose freecodecamp.com to go for now.

I did an Ask HN too and I did not receive much support either from the HN crowd. I don't know if people here think being a developer is not a good career path, or they are tired of wannabes and impostors, or they consider a developer career is just for a few selected ones; but I was expecting much more support here for people wanting to learn to code.

My answer to your question: I think you should go for it. Just consider very carefully if a bootcamp is the best way. But if you have the cash reserve to use, I think might be a good first step. After that, keep searching for knowledge in other places. And follow with laser focus the exact field that you consider interesting.

If in one year you regret this decision, it is not too late to reverse the career change and go back with your great resume as a PM, with more added value by your experience learning to code. Go for it, it is not a path of no return and it will be a valuable experience either way.

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#65

Post by toomuchtodo »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #30
dontJudge wrote: post #9

Yes, you're crazy. Keep your high paying job. Learn computer science on the side. The really interesting stuff usually requires deeper knowledge and skills. For problems worth solving, 15 years experience as a CRUD developer is no better than 15 years experience as a project manager. Making this career change won't necessarily help you gain the skills you want.

This is what I was going to say as well. Don't jump into "boot camp", start taking night classes at your local community college (or if you have flexible hours) day classes. Even MOOC/online classes during the evenings will be a path to adding coding skills to your resume.

Finding problems and learning how to solve them with a tool you want to learn is a pretty powerful method (IMHO).

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#66

Post by theflork »

I think about the future and get excited about technology and the types of things you can build and contribute to if you know how to code (e.g. block chain, deep learning, etc.)

You will learn none of these things at a coding bootcamp. If you are really interested in going deeper, check out Georgia Tech OMSCS - you can do it while you are holding your current job (employer may even pay for it for you if yr lucky) and more importantly the courses are relevant to what you state actually interests you about future of tech. http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/current-courses

I have a feeling tremendous opportunity will be available over the next 10 years to software developers while other disciplines such as management become less and less important.

I disagree, solid managers and leaders will always be important. Perhaps you are focusing on the negative, rote aspects of yr job too much?

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#67

Post by Klasiaster »

Quitting a job might lead to something nice, but my understanding is that programming and computer science is overestimated. It's very interesting to learn how things work, but really doing something meaningful with it is mostly very very hard and one has lack of time or not intended all and thus you end up writing things you would never use yourself.

Re: Ask HN: I will quit my job as a PM to join a coding bootcamp. Am I crazy?

#70

Post by swivelmaster »

Well, you've got a lot of answers here already.

I've worked in startups and the game industry as a programmer, designer, producer (probably more like your version of PM), and kind of as a PM (which, in gaming, is probably like some percentage of your job now, but not all of it).

It's definitely true that having worked as a designer and programmer was INCREDIBLY helpful in making me a better producer. The ability to communicate with people you manage or need to make decisions for at a passable level of their domain knowledge will be very fruitful and will help you command their respect. You'll make better decisions too, of course.

Feel free to email me if you want to know more. (That goes for anyone here, I'm always happy to give advice.)

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