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How the Valley treats experienced people

rachelbythebay.com

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Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#11

Post by zik »

samatman wrote: post #4

The tech industry has a reputation for being hard on older engineers, and I’m sure there is some of that, but I doubt it’s the problem it’s made out to be. Anectdote, I know, but the older engineers I know are doing fine, one gentleman pushing 70 recently came out of retirement to work on Ethereum. The number of developers has roughly doubled every five years for about thirty years now. Even before you subtract progr…

This kind of ageism isn't really visible to you unless you're the subject of it. Yes, it's real.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#12

Post by yodsanklai »

WalterBright wrote: post #2

Sailing the world sounds boring. It's too passive. I'll be working creating new things until they carry me out in a box. I go out on sightseeing trips now and then, and very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work. I did go on a 3 day cruise once. By the third day I was bored out of my mind. I tried to get a tour of the engine room but the crew wasn't having any of that. I also annoye…

> very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work.

You don't have to be idle while you're traveling. I always spend a few hours "working" when I travel. I find it too tiring to be out all day anyway.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#13

Post by cathames »

Luck is a huge part of success. It's mythology that if you work hard enough for long enough that the world will become your oyster. Sweat and ingenuity are often necessary but not necessarily sufficient means to financial gain. No one launches from the same starting line nor runs along the same track. And don't forget that all the other smart folks out there are ravenously competing against you for those hotly desired greenbacks. Count your blessings if you are one of the lucky ones.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#14

Post by WalterBright »

yodsanklai wrote: post #12
WalterBright wrote: post #2

Sailing the world sounds boring. It's too passive. I'll be working creating new things until they carry me out in a box. I go out on sightseeing trips now and then, and very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work. I did go on a 3 day cruise once. By the third day I was bored out of my mind. I tried to get a tour of the engine room but the crew wasn't having any of that. I also annoye…

> very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work. You don't have to be idle while you're traveling. I always spend a few hours "working" when I travel. I find it too tiring to be out all day anyway.

I've tried. It doesn't work too well. I'm too used to my big monitor at home, and my build/test farm.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#15

Post by WalterBright »

cathames wrote: post #13

Luck is a huge part of success. It's mythology that if you work hard enough for long enough that the world will become your oyster. Sweat and ingenuity are often necessary but not necessarily sufficient means to financial gain. No one launches from the same starting line nor runs along the same track. And don't forget that all the other smart folks out there are ravenously competing against you for those hotly desire…

It's not about working hard, and never was. It's about working smart.

And people make their own luck. You can't get lucky if you're not in the game swinging.

I've known plenty of people who just sat at their desks, doing as little as possible, waiting for the boss to direct them, reading hackernews(!), watching the clock till they could go home. They were never going to get lucky.

Then there are the ones who are always up to something. They're doing a side project, they started a band, they go to meetups, they write articles, they talk about their investment strategies, they're planning out their next venture, and you know they're going to get lucky.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#16

Post by aidos »

WalterBright wrote: post #2

Sailing the world sounds boring. It's too passive. I'll be working creating new things until they carry me out in a box. I go out on sightseeing trips now and then, and very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work. I did go on a 3 day cruise once. By the third day I was bored out of my mind. I tried to get a tour of the engine room but the crew wasn't having any of that. I also annoye…

Must have been a strange sailboat to have an engine room :-)

Sailing the world certainly isn’t a passive activity, especially if you’re sailing around the world. Ocean sailing involves all sorts of skills (and nerves) as you need to nurse a boat around while using your ingenuity to solve the challenges of things breaking that you can’t replace for weeks. You need to prepare all the food (victualling), learn how to sew sails and teach yourself to sleep immediately while tied to a bed healed over sideways because you’re being knocked about in a storm beating into the waves...because you’ll need to be back up top for your shift in 3 hours time.

Whatever floats your boat, though :-)

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#17

Post by buoyantair »

WalterBright wrote: post #15
cathames wrote: post #13

Luck is a huge part of success. It's mythology that if you work hard enough for long enough that the world will become your oyster. Sweat and ingenuity are often necessary but not necessarily sufficient means to financial gain. No one launches from the same starting line nor runs along the same track. And don't forget that all the other smart folks out there are ravenously competing against you for those hotly desire…

It's not about working hard, and never was. It's about working smart. And people make their own luck. You can't get lucky if you're not in the game swinging. I've known plenty of people who just sat at their desks, doing as little as possible, waiting for the boss to direct them, reading hackernews(!), watching the clock till they could go home. They were never going to get lucky. Then there are the ones who are alwa…

Trust me no matter how smart you play, if you are born in this world at a very vulnerable position, like say a marginal group like lgbtq communities in third world or in a war torn area or with disabilities, no matter how smart and hard you work, you are always a few clicks behind those who have the "luck" and everything else on their side.

The world is super unfair place and sometimes even if you work really smart and hard, you won't get the results you worked for.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#18

Post by WalterBright »

aidos wrote: post #16
WalterBright wrote: post #2

Sailing the world sounds boring. It's too passive. I'll be working creating new things until they carry me out in a box. I go out on sightseeing trips now and then, and very predictably at about 10 days I'm itching to go home and get back to work. I did go on a 3 day cruise once. By the third day I was bored out of my mind. I tried to get a tour of the engine room but the crew wasn't having any of that. I also annoye…

Must have been a strange sailboat to have an engine room :-) Sailing the world certainly isn’t a passive activity, especially if you’re sailing around the world . Ocean sailing involves all sorts of skills (and nerves) as you need to nurse a boat around while using your ingenuity to solve the challenges of things breaking that you can’t replace for weeks. You need to prepare all the food (victualling), learn how to s…

I understand that sailing on the ocean is no small feat, but my problem with it is it doesn't actually accomplish anything. I want to do things that matter.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#19

Post by pojzon »

Works pretty well for Google tho. Too bad most companies dont understand that they are not Google! and never will be - most often - dont even have to be.

Unfortunately most managers are sheeps, only able to copy ideas of other ppl without thought if its even needed/required.

Im in this industry for a few years and already see that all middle level managers should be fired. Software Craftsmen would be a lot better to lead projects.

Re: How the Valley treats experienced people

#20

Post by WalterBright »

buoyantair wrote: post #17
WalterBright wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about working hard, and never was. It's about working smart. And people make their own luck. You can't get lucky if you're not in the game swinging. I've known plenty of people who just sat at their desks, doing as little as possible, waiting for the boss to direct them, reading hackernews(!), watching the clock till they could go home. They were never going to get lucky. Then there are the ones who are alwa…

Trust me no matter how smart you play, if you are born in this world at a very vulnerable position, like say a marginal group like lgbtq communities in third world or in a war torn area or with disabilities, no matter how smart and hard you work, you are always a few clicks behind those who have the "luck" and everything else on their side. The world is super unfair place and sometimes even if you work really smart a…

I'm talking about the US and being an able-bodied adult.
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