I would recommend everyone who retires from programming to get into the maker world. 3D printed, embedded programming - it’s great fun and just feels different from the day to day programming grind.
Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
171–180 of 438 posts
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#172In 2 days time I'll mark my 27th year as a professional programmer (and just over 40 years since I started programming). I've worked in small companies, big companies, and mega-corporations. I've been a programmer, manager, team lead and CTO. And in doing so I discovered that I don't like managing people, I don't like meetings, and I don't like paperwork. I like long periods of focus. So I'm a software dev/architect…
I took the same path and came to the same realization, yet my current architect role is still nothing but meetings. Ugh.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#173I once had a PM who told me coding was just a stepping stone to them in their career. I couldn’t understand, I thought they must not have been a “natural” like me. Fast forward a few years, after taking on more mentorship roles, then staff responsibilities, then slipping into project oversight roles… She was so right. Coding was a great stepping stone. Several years ago my father got promoted to some leadership role.…
> "Several years ago my father got promoted to some leadership role. In our conversation about it, he told me he had asked to get back closer tech, but his boss declined and said tech specialists are a dime a dozen. Technical leadership is very expensive to find though, and once you find one you don’t let them go back to the production line." Ah, the foundational myth of middle management.
Middle managers are a dime a dozen. However a good technical lead - who can contribute to the engineering team's discussions _and_ lead the team are very very hard to find.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#174In 2 days time I'll mark my 27th year as a professional programmer (and just over 40 years since I started programming). I've worked in small companies, big companies, and mega-corporations. I've been a programmer, manager, team lead and CTO. And in doing so I discovered that I don't like managing people, I don't like meetings, and I don't like paperwork. I like long periods of focus. So I'm a software dev/architect…
I took the same path and came to the same realization, yet my current architect role is still nothing but meetings. Ugh.
"Architect" in most places is basically "code politician".
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#175Glypha looks like a lot of fun. A low-fi clone of Killer Queen - or is Killer Queen a hi-fi clone of Glypha? Either way, very nice!
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#176For me, at least, programming is simply the most profitable articulation of an underlying personality trait that involves productivity, play, mischief, sardonicism and critique all together. This is what people mean when they point out that "hacking" isn't about software. The tantalizing just-out-of-reach articulation of a compelling concept. Satiating.
>The tantalizing just-out-of-reach articulation of a compelling concept.
What out of reach concepts do you have? I've found that, with time, I could code almost anything (barring ultraspecialized programs like FEA analysis etc.). The only thing between me and the finished program is hundreds or thousands of hours of work. I don't see magic in that.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#177In 2 days time I'll mark my 27th year as a professional programmer (and just over 40 years since I started programming). I've worked in small companies, big companies, and mega-corporations. I've been a programmer, manager, team lead and CTO. And in doing so I discovered that I don't like managing people, I don't like meetings, and I don't like paperwork. I like long periods of focus. So I'm a software dev/architect…
Same path, but for the last 10 years i've been a CTO. Right now i'd kill for fewer meetings and more focus time. Starting to take its toll.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#178In 2 days time I'll mark my 27th year as a professional programmer (and just over 40 years since I started programming). I've worked in small companies, big companies, and mega-corporations. I've been a programmer, manager, team lead and CTO. And in doing so I discovered that I don't like managing people, I don't like meetings, and I don't like paperwork. I like long periods of focus. So I'm a software dev/architect…
I am not sure what I want more anymore. I love these periods of flow, but I am so good at integrating other people's work, making them agree on the best while being happy and feeling productive. Also flow makes time fly and I feel I would just die very soon, heh. Anyone feeling this too? But I crave this feeling very much anyway.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#179>Are there younger engineers, new to the career, for whom programming is not merely a job but something they can imagine doing in their spare time? Yes, absolutely!
To even ask is ridiculous.
As a current undergraduate, programming for fun is ubiquitous in my peers. Surprises me also that the author has to ask.
Re: Same Stop: Life after 26 years as a programmer for Apple
#180[deleted]