Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

My perspective on this:

Starting your own side business to get the living expenses covered and then quitting and rolling a one man company.

Perhaps it's not being the manager that you want, but to control your own destiny? Being a manager will just lock you in even more.

Also no more need to drive 70km!

Do you know what a manager does? Why do you think you’d enjoy/be good at that type of work?

Or is it more that you don’t want to be a developer?

Is being a manager better? Is it a raise you want? There may be other ways. I make more than my manager.

I've had great managers and I've worked with great software developers and while it certainly helps to be a great developer to be a great manager, some of the worst managers I've had were also great developers. You may have a different skillset. And I don't know that avoiding humiliation is the best motivation to want to be a manager.

As it stands now, I'm a self-employed contractor and that brings some of the upsides of being a manager. I am running my own small business, after all. Maybe that's worth considering? It's not without downsides, though, especially in a soft job market.

I've also been a developer for 15 years (I'm 40 and graduated late at 25) and feel some of your angst, though I think the traditional approach is to take up woodworking or try to start a brewery :-)

I was in almost your exact same situation about 8 years ago. What I did was start looking for leadership positions outside of work. I became a CrossFit trainer, president of my HOA, and for a short while started my own business.

A friend of mine offered me an opportunity to lead a small team at a start-up, and I joined even though I made less money. I actually went back to being an IC after a few years because I didn't like managing at that company, but a few years after that, I had the chance to manage a team while the director was on paternity leave and I really enjoyed it. By that time, I'd read enough and had enough experience to get hired as a manager. So I changed jobs to manage a team full time and have enjoyed it since.

Good luck on your quest.

I made this jump quite quickly in my career and for me it came down to having a genuine interest in the operations of the company, joining meetings that weren't directly related to my work just to get a better understanding/share my views. It wasn't long before I was offered the position when someone else was leaving.

Basically make yourself and your interest visible.

But ask yourself if it's what you genuinely want, as well. The work and the responsibilities are very different to what you're doing as a developer. Maybe you haven't made the "jump" simply because you don't want to? I know there's a theoretical ladder of progression "up the chain" but I don't know if it's true; they're simply different roles suited to different personalities. It's quite common to hear of developers who went into management only to regret it. There are other options, like tech lead etc. that could give you a position of working more in the overview side of things and that could put your experience to good use, while still remaining faithful to the interests you had that brought you into this worldiin the first place.

But definitely if you feel like you're stuck in a rut with your current company then _communicate that_ to someone already in management where you're at and brainstorm some ideas. If your company is healthy then they'll appreciate that and appreciate you and help you find an avenue to explore.

If they aren't receptive to that, then you might start considering if the problem is with yourself and your age or whatever you're suggesting now, or with the environment you're working in.

Best of luck to you!