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

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11–20 of 135 posts

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

#11
Sounds like you really want out of your current situation. And "promoted to management" is the only exit you can see, without heavy financial penalties or social stigma.

I don't get the sense that you have any actual interest in studying or doing management.

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

#12
> younger folks are above me. It feels undignified, humiliating at times.

I'm not sure becoming a manager would solve that, as there might still be younger people managing you. Even if you become CEO, shareholders and investors might be younger too. I think a better approach would be to discover first why it bothers you so to be managed by someone younger.

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

#13
As a manager you have the responsibility of achieving some goal through other people. Have you tried this before, or always worked on individual tasks? If you haven't tried it, I bet there is some managerial responsibility you can pick up TODAY in your team which your engineering manager / team lead doesn't have time for, and which would help you both learn about management and your aptitude for it. Such proactivity might also get you promoted if you decide to stick with development, who knows?

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

#14
post #12

> younger folks are above me. It feels undignified, humiliating at times. I'm not sure becoming a manager would solve that, as there might still be younger people managing you. Even if you become CEO, shareholders and investors might be younger too. I think a better approach would be to discover first why it bothers you so to be managed by someone younger.

it is also about why are you there. Both friends and I have had manager that are decades younger than us. Wasn't really a problem. Depending what if you want to deal with meetings, C-Level people, or just develop software at your job.

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

#15
There should be no shame in younger people above ourselves. I am 46 and a coupple of years ago the CEO and CTO of the company I worked for were in their twenties. It did not bother me at all. If they do their jobs properly, it is fine at any age. If they dont do their jobs properly, it is not fine at any age.

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

#16
> Every day is mental pain as I get older and younger folks are above me. It feels undignified, humiliating at times.

Age is not a rank. If people younger than you are better at delivering value than you then they should be above you, and rightfully so.

Moreso if they outwork you.

You should get with the program and work on being at peace that other people around you can and often are better than you at something.

If you're hoping to become a manager so that you can abuse your position to keep others down, you definitely are not cut out to be a manager.

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

#18

Sounds like you really want out of your current situation. And "promoted to management" is the only exit you can see, without heavy financial penalties or social stigma. I don't get the sense that you have any actual interest in studying or doing management.

Yep, unhealthy interest in personal status rather than in the health and success of the team.

Which would make for a terrible manager.

I'm a couple years away from 50, and "stuck as a developer" and it's fine, and having "young people above me" is no concern. They're team-mates and sometimes friends.

If I eventally make the switch to management, it would be because I got less interested sofware systems and more in team systems.

!(manager > engineer). Just different.

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

#19
I got my first management job because they needed a manager for a new team and I was already taking on and managing that new teams responsibilities in my current role.

I've promoted quite a few people into Team Lead and Manager roles and it was ALWAYS the person that was currently already leading, mentoring and making my problems go away.

Same with how do you get to be "Senior Engineer" or "Architect" ... do the job first.

It sounds like you just want a change of scenery and the prestige the title gives you, I don't even know if that will make you happy.

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

#20
Management isn’t a promotion, it’s a different job, and being “stuck” as an IC shouldn’t be a thing. There’s nothing wrong with staying on the IC track forever and getting promotions rather than changing to management.

You say that there are no promotion opportunities, but have you talked to your EM about the gaps to the next IC level for you?

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