The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

> I can't help but wonder if developers are simply off-put by the complexity of the language itself.

I certainly fall into this category. At one point I could have almost been considered a C++ language lawyer.

But then two things happened:

(1) I got stuck working on codebases that assumed C++11. Even now, I'm using Python3 and C++ (mostly 11, with a little 14/17 sprinkled in).

(2) The C++ language spec got significantly more complex after C++11. Without writing C++14/17 code on a regular basis, I just couldn't justify the time spent trying to keep up with it.

So for me, the cost/benefit ratio of trying to stay "current" with C++ is no longer worth it. I expect to prefer Rust over C++ for new projects.

>~$200-250k salary in the US. Not bad, I'd say.

In SF or NYC? For a junior dev who can maybe write a for loop without supervision sure.

I'd love to get into low level programming, game development or somewhere where C++ has to be used (I'd rather use another language probably but not gonna get picky); however, in my experience (and this might differ vastly since I'm in South America):

1. There are really few jobs doing this here compared to web development; there are maybe less than ten new openings in LinkedIn a month.

2. Most if not all of these ask for Sr positions with +5 years of experience, there are no jr jobs to get this experience from (except maybe from university or public research entities, which just don't pay enough to cover rent).

3. Most of these are just maintaining old legacy software written in C++, the jobs in games, embedded, low-latency, etc. are REALLY far and between or nonexistent.

4. Many don't allow for remote work, whereas in web development it's the norm.

5. You can say goodbye to part-time work, it's not the norm in web development either, but since there are so many jobs there you eventually will find one that'll allow you to work less hours.

6. Even if you get the perfect job, it might still pay less than a Sr React position or whatever; I'd personally rather work in something interesting for myself, but someone with a family might not.

I haven't been investing time in looking for remote work in the US or EU yet, in my little experience, they usually do not allow for remote work, or only for Sr positions. However I'm sure it's possible since there are much more openings outside.

So personally I believe there's a lot for these companies to improve so this pool of talents grow, and it doesn't even imply higher wages; they can focus on hiring from another countries and/or more jr candidates. There won't be more "talented C++ developers" if these people can't learn or grown anywhere. There's a lot of talented people right out of college they just don't have the work experience yet.

That is the most bloated boilerplate project I've ever seen. Does anyone actually use this for their projects? I would hope not. I know Javascript people are used to starting a project with a template/boilerplate, but that's not a good idea in C++ land. You actually need to understand the stack you're using, and all of the tools (unless you're working on a team, in which case that could be someone else's responsibility)

Also, QT projects aren't real C++ since they require an additional preprocessor to compile custom syntax additions for "signals" and "slots". As a consequence, tooling for those projects tend to be more complicated and clunky.

This linked project seems to be trying to stuff as many things as they possibly can into a hello world project. With Conan + CMake you only need like 3 files total in your entire project for something like this:

    * conanfile.txt: for declaring requirements/dependencies
    * CMakeLists.txt: describe how to compile your project
    * main.cpp: source code for the hello world app

Also,

> Yes, I realize CMake isn't modern and there are a bunch of new build tools.

No!! That thinking is a trap. CMake is modern, and using something else is more likely to cause problems for you and anyone who might want to use your project. That boilerplate's is a bad example. A fully functional SDL2 hello world with Conan can be done with a ~4 LoC CMakeLists.txt.

Unless you have a very good reason (there are good reasons, but they're the exception rather than the rule), don't build your C++ project with anything other than CMake.

For anyone looking for a junior who knows C++ in Canada, we've had good luck with Sheridan College in Oakville ON.