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I no longer build software

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Re: I no longer build software

#41

Post by kranner »

vbezhenar wrote: post #11
k33n wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The dude lives in Indonesia. Not sure he ever saw much of a reward for writing software, sadly.

From my experience, writing software in 3-rd world country is a reliable way to get out of the poverty. Some example numbers for Kazakhstan: average salary for many low-skilled labour workers is around $100-$200 per month. Average salary for junior software developer is at least $500 and you would quickly reach $1000 and very skilled developers might get $2000+ per month. The same is true for Russia or Belarus or Ukr…

As a developer in a third world country, I have to disagree that it is a reliable way for everyone. Not everyone has the programming skills, communication skills, confidence to reach out and negotiate for jobs above cost-of-living wages, and there is immense competition. Prospective employers will start out assuming you're not as good as programmers in the first world, you will get lowballed and the odd unscruplous employer will skip out without payment. It's a hard slog; not impossible if you're lucky enough to be born into better circumstances than others and have enough support to go the rest of the way; but definitely not something that anyone can do.

Re: I no longer build software

#42

Post by Angostura »

bluebit wrote: post #28
jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

Honest question, what is a great career pivot for someone that's been in development all their life? It seems that nothing pays as well as building software, unless you go into management which most developers would enjoy even less than digital plumbing.

The actual business analysis and requirements discovery?

Meeting users, finding out about their problems and working out how software can solve them?

Re: I no longer build software

#43

Post by vanviegen »

bluebit wrote: post #28
jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

Honest question, what is a great career pivot for someone that's been in development all their life? It seems that nothing pays as well as building software, unless you go into management which most developers would enjoy even less than digital plumbing.

Does it need to pay as well?

Re: I no longer build software

#44

Post by maxerickson »

bilbo0s wrote: post #40
secondcoming wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too would love to do it. It irks me to this day that I was taught nonsense such as latin in school instead of woodwork or metalwork.

Serious question, didn't anyone else' school have shop class? I was a college prep, NHS, cross country, all AP core courses kind of guy, and I took it all four years of high school. Or was there some kind of restriction on taking it at your school? Or maybe your parents didn't let you? Genuinely curious as to why someone with a professed interest would not have taken shop?

At my high school shop was at the same time as band and other music classes, so you couldn't do both.

Lots of schools don't have the classes though, probably mostly because of funding.

Re: I no longer build software

#45

Post by CyberRabbi »

nix23 wrote: post #34
CyberRabbi wrote: post #19

Sounds like a humble brag to stroke his own ego. Wood working grunt work is virtually infinitely less intellectually stimulating than software grunt work. If he’s working for himself now, good for him but the comment just comes off as superfluous and pretentious

>virtually infinitely less intellectually stimulating than software grunt work. Really why do you know that? Sitting the whole day in front of a screen compared to create and finish (yeah that's a real thing in woodwork) a Project sound's much better (and like everything it has it's up and downsides)

I think you misinterpreted my comment. I do wood work and I create software. Wood working is intellectually stimulating, however, wood working grunt work is very much not so. I’m fairly certain that writing maintenance scripts or plumbing between old APIs is more interesting than running a bandsaw or a belt sander 10 or so times repetitively.

Re: I no longer build software

#46

Post by non-entity »

bluebit wrote: post #28
jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

Honest question, what is a great career pivot for someone that's been in development all their life? It seems that nothing pays as well as building software, unless you go into management which most developers would enjoy even less than digital plumbing.

It seems like the only realsitc pivots are going to be adjacent business type positions, and even then there's a chance of a payout depending on company / position, etc. Like you said though I would hate these more than I do the software jobs.

Re: I no longer build software

#47

Post by C1sc0cat »

pliftkl wrote: post #8

This made me laugh, because I actually am planning on making a transition to woodworking. My house is paid off, and I can live on a fairly small income that I can probably generate mostly from passive income. If I can actually supplement that with building furniture, bonus. If not, then I still get to build furniture.

You might find that what was a hobby is not as much fun as a job.

I mentioned this to an actual "rock star" developer London session musician with a doctorate in music who moved to development after teaching themselves after an accident.

Re: I no longer build software

#48

Post by rpastuszak »

jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

In my experience gaming or playing with emerging tech is still fun--give it a shot!

Re: I no longer build software

#49

Post by nicbou »

bluebit wrote: post #28
jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

Honest question, what is a great career pivot for someone that's been in development all their life? It seems that nothing pays as well as building software, unless you go into management which most developers would enjoy even less than digital plumbing.

I run a website that helps people. I still deal with software, but on my own terms. If I put the same content on a cookie cutter WordPress site, no one would care. Now, programming feels a lot like woodworking: a deliberately inefficient way to do something, just because it's fun.

Re: I no longer build software

#50

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

jb1991 wrote: post #20

Amen. Modern software development is frankly kinda sucky. The old days pre-2000 were arguably a lot more enjoyable. Today it's just digital plumbing and dealing with all sorts of issues that are not creative. The sheer complexity is frankly absurd as well. I've thought about moving on from software many times, and I know many who have. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's best way to spend your short l…

>Not to mention that sitting in front of a computer all day is not the best use of one's body.

You can say that about all desk jobs(even bus drivers) since they all sit on a chair the whole day but at least in some cases we get paid better and have more free time to take care of ourselves. And unlike the bus driver, I can leave work or take a coffee/toilet break whenever I want.

And labor jobs that don't require sitting are usually even worse for your body long term(landscaping, plumbing, gardening) and sometimes pay worse as well. If I'm coding, I can constantly shift my body position if it gets uncomfortable while a plumber/gardner is just stuck in that straineous position until the job is done.

Maybe athlete or personal fitness instructor is the only job I can think of where you earn money while staying in shape.

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