Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#61

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 6:28 PM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Exuma wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3. is more of the exact same. I can't even begin to relate to these ideas, because they aren't even issues to begin with... "I like engineering/design and making usable things" => Make usable things. I don't make unusable things because its waste of time, I make things that give me what I want most (freedom), which also correlates to money. I just really enjoy programming as that process of doing it "However, whateve…

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#62

Post by schwartzworld » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 6:30 PM UTC

quickthrower2 wrote: post #6

Back end and devops probably give the best combo of pay and work life balance. Front end had you chasing frameworks. Front end for you own projects is OK but for a company get ready to learn the latest React nonsense while supporting Angular, JQuery Plugins and everything else that was in vogue over the life of your codebase. Unless you join a disciplined team that doesn’t chase fads or rewrites everything each time.…

In my experience frontend is surprisingly steady. React is popular enough to be the default choice at many jobs, and angular and vue are both common enough that you could make a career in them without having to chase anything. The meme about a new framework every week is a little outdated. Nothing is really poised to topple the big 3.

But more than that, a lot of concerns are the same no matter what framework you use. Making an app accessible in React isn't that different from doing it in any other framework. Browser APIs don't really change. Switching frameworks just means switching mental models for how you store and pass around data, but it doesn't fundamentally change the job. And the great thing about the popular frameworks is that once you internalize how they work, they can really speed up the way you work.

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#63

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 7:23 PM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Exuma wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3. is more of the exact same. I can't even begin to relate to these ideas, because they aren't even issues to begin with... "I like engineering/design and making usable things" => Make usable things. I don't make unusable things because its waste of time, I make things that give me what I want most (freedom), which also correlates to money. I just really enjoy programming as that process of doing it "However, whateve…

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#64

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 8:16 PM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Exuma wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3. is more of the exact same. I can't even begin to relate to these ideas, because they aren't even issues to begin with... "I like engineering/design and making usable things" => Make usable things. I don't make unusable things because its waste of time, I make things that give me what I want most (freedom), which also correlates to money. I just really enjoy programming as that process of doing it "However, whateve…

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#65

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 9:14 PM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Exuma wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3. is more of the exact same. I can't even begin to relate to these ideas, because they aren't even issues to begin with... "I like engineering/design and making usable things" => Make usable things. I don't make unusable things because its waste of time, I make things that give me what I want most (freedom), which also correlates to money. I just really enjoy programming as that process of doing it "However, whateve…

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#66

Post by Exuma » Sun, Oct 01, 2023, 10:07 PM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Exuma wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3. is more of the exact same. I can't even begin to relate to these ideas, because they aren't even issues to begin with... "I like engineering/design and making usable things" => Make usable things. I don't make unusable things because its waste of time, I make things that give me what I want most (freedom), which also correlates to money. I just really enjoy programming as that process of doing it "However, whateve…

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

Leave your email if you feel like it or a disposable email and Ill msg you

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#67

Post by throwaway1183 » Mon, Oct 02, 2023, 3:13 AM UTC

Exuma wrote: post #66

throwaway1183 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow!! This is literally soooo insane you managed to write so much answer in a way that is so close and dear to you. I would really love to have a long discussion with you but I don't know if it is possible given your time. Is there an specific aliased contact address that is possible to connect to you? I don't have most answers but it seems like there are certain qualities in you that is so helpful for the way you ar…

Leave your email if you feel like it or a disposable email and Ill msg you

I have linked an email in my bio. You can contact me there!

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#68

Post by Exuma » Mon, Oct 02, 2023, 4:47 AM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #67

Exuma wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leave your email if you feel like it or a disposable email and Ill msg you

I have linked an email in my bio. You can contact me there!

Recipient address rejected: Address does not exist

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#69

Post by throwaway1183 » Mon, Oct 02, 2023, 5:08 AM UTC

Exuma wrote: post #68

throwaway1183 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have linked an email in my bio. You can contact me there!

Recipient address rejected: Address does not exist

Yes! I tested why I wasn't receiving any emails. Then I updated the link. Sorry for the inconveniences!

Re: Ask HN: Which role in software engineering is the best for average person?

#70

Post by badpun » Mon, Oct 02, 2023, 6:30 AM UTC

throwaway1183 wrote: post #60

badpun wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a good counterexample to that story though. I've started coding when I was nine, have Masters in Computer Science, have worked in software for roughly 15 years (most of that coding). I've taught myself linear algebra, 3d computer vision/vSLAM from scratch, computer graphics (incl. more advanced concepts like PBR, Mesh Shaders etc.), statistics and machine learning, and probably other things I'm forgetting now. Ho…

You are really literally like me because you did the things I did. I have also dabble with them. I have also experimented with it. Only thing is I never made anything valuable. I guess I only did it for sake of learning and being happy. Conversation with Exuma has made me realize he only learns when he absolutely needs to, while I learn when I feel like learning. Then I can't also put focus. Because of inefficiencies…

> However, do you think putting 2 hrs a week on a single project for extended time will take me to places?

What places? Getting a job in the field? I think it could do it, unless the field is very hard to get into (e.g. 3d computer vision/vSLAM is considerably harder to get into than computer graphics, machine learning research is much harder to get into than applied machine learning (glorified data science) etc.). A good approach is to talk to some insiders in the field to get a feel of how hard would it be. If you don't know anyone, topical subreddits are not the worst place to ask this.

I went through exactly this path, even got some interviews, but learned that the jobs that would interest me the most are hardest to get into, and would mean a large pay decrease (I was making a ton in my current area of expertise). The nail in the coffin was chatting with some guy from Facebook AR (I met him on reddit) team who had my dream job and who said that, in my position, he'd prefer to just accumulate money and FIRE in 5 years, instead of starting a new career.