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Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
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Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#22[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#2340+
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
How does that work exactly? If no one is willing to pay higher salaries then the salaries aren’t higher. Senior people would presumably take junior pay over unemployment.
Junior developer salaries here are low enough that people just change industry. It's also not just about the salary but the way that they work. That all being said there are start ups out here that do look for experienced devs and pay accordingly, my previous comments mostly relate to large local businesses.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#25As a general rule: Old enough that I feel that it would be rude to ask their age. Wikipedia entries for three of them indicate 41, 52, and 64, though.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#26One very bright guy maybe still in his 30's.
Otherwise, 40's and 50's.
Not just experience. Problem solving, including creative thought. Practicality. Reduction in B.S. -- although that can cut both ways, with age, depending upon the person.
P.S. A lack of ego/defensiveness can also be very helpful. It becomes about fixing the problem, not excessively defending one's turf and an unrealistic reputation.
P.P.S. Younger people can have these things, and be quite excellent. Maybe a bit more insecurity is still common -- whether overt or over-compensated for in expression. I spent a lot of time in BigCorps; that may have influenced the demographics of my environment and thus my observations.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#27Age has nothing to do with talent. Older devs tend to have more experience, go figure.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
I work out in Asia and over here a big reason for ageism in tech is a misunderstanding of development talent, there is a belief that coders are coders and that's all there is to it, young coders tend to be willing to work longer hours and basically work until they burn out so management sees them as the superior option since salaries and benefits are lower. edit: Since I'm getting down voted for whatever reason here'…
How does that work exactly? If no one is willing to pay higher salaries then the salaries aren’t higher. Senior people would presumably take junior pay over unemployment.
Some companies tend to hire only junior devs for junior positions. The argument is that, once hired, senior people complain about being paid lower than a less experienced dev. Some management does not want to deal with that. I know it sounds stupid, but that is what I've heard from some of my seniors.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#29I've met two deeply talented software engineering minds in my life, and they fall on opposite ends of the spectrum:
The first I met when I was in my mid-20s and he was about 17. Gifted kid, absolutely. He'd published a programming book (!) and could do things with JavaScript that, in 2001, nobody had even thought of doing until the mid 2010s. Totally undisciplined of course -- we hired him and he refused to follow any instructions, got bored easily, thought he knew better than his engineering manager, and was ultimately fired after about 3 months on the job. Haven't kept up with him but I imagine he's gone on to do amazing things.
The second was someone I had the pleasure of working with over the past few years. He's early 50s now and far and away one of the most productive and intelligent engineers I've ever seen. Thinks about problems deeply and thoroughly, codes quickly, optimizes when and only when it's time, and is the purest measure of productivity I know. All the lessons one learns over a career in engineering put to use. Proof that hands-down, the ageism in SV is totally misplaced when it comes to skill level -- I'd work with that 50-something over any 20-something "rock star" any day of the week.
Re: Ask HN: How old were the most talented software engineers you've met?
#30I've met two deeply talented software engineering minds in my life, and they fall on opposite ends of the spectrum: The first I met when I was in my mid-20s and he was about 17. Gifted kid, absolutely. He'd published a programming book (!) and could do things with JavaScript that, in 2001, nobody had even thought of doing until the mid 2010s. Totally undisciplined of course -- we hired him and he refused to follow an…
The ageism in SV has very little to do with actual talent and productivity and much more with how the team feels someone can handle themselves at happy hour.