Is software development really a dead-end job after age 35-40?

Post by Froyoh » Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 6:35 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #24

stcredzero wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also think a good manager can double or quadruple the effectiveness of their entire team Another way of thinking about this: Managing people really well is really hard. Most managers are not the best managers. Average managers often end up doing things that reduce the output of their group in the interest of things not going horribly wrong. The Pareto distribution rears its ugly head, once again.

I wish I had more than one upvote. If you have no management experience, and no mentorship in managing, you have no business managing people. Managing requires empathy and a desire to help your subordinates level up, not SWE skills. Your job is to deliver value to the org and to your individual contributors in equal parts. At least as a software developer, you're only breaking code. But you start affecting people's l…

Post by everyone » Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 6:37 PM UTC

Post by toomuchtodo » Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 6:39 PM UTC

Froyoh wrote: post #41

toomuchtodo wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish I had more than one upvote. If you have no management experience, and no mentorship in managing, you have no business managing people. Managing requires empathy and a desire to help your subordinates level up, not SWE skills. Your job is to deliver value to the org and to your individual contributors in equal parts. At least as a software developer, you're only breaking code. But you start affecting people's l…

How about team lead?

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 6:41 PM UTC

everyone wrote: post #43

I'm frankly flabbergasted why silicon valley (apparently, from reading articles here) has this youth fixation. In my software dev experience the least useful people on the team have invariably been the youngest. My pet theory answer for my own question goes thusly: Young people are more easily indoctrinated / brainwashed and dominated and thats what Google and whoever really want in their employees.

Post by marktangotango » Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 6:43 PM UTC

lliamander wrote: post #40

Gargoyle wrote: post #22

In the general sense, this is the wrong place to ask. It's a self-selecting group in that most people over 40 here will be among the group that lasted in the career. It won't give a sense of how large that group is in the wider world, nor how many didn't stick with it. On the other hand, if you want to hear how to make it past 40 in software, this is probably an excellent place to ask!

Then let me ask: how do you make it past 40 in software? Specifically, how do you position yourself so that you are actively sought after (rather than merely employable)?