Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50? • Hacker News Board

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#161

Post by krig » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:07 PM UTC

bradshaw1965 wrote: post #87

krig wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

32 here, and so far programming is the best thing I've ever done in life. The stress I've experienced has all emerged from my own expectations of myself, from wanting to excel. My mother is in her late fifties and recently returned to working in a children's daycare after being a manager for many years because working with children was what she was passionate about, and she realised she had advanced away from what ma…

What is it with fluorescent light and programmers? I left a gig specifically because of a mid-afternoon fluorescent hum that was soul sucking. Decent light and a good ergonomic work environment are so important.

In this case I was primarily thinking of flourescent light from an LCD screen (would have mentioned CRTs, but that would have dated me a bit TOO much), but I agree completely about the life-killing quality of shitty overhead flourescent lamps. Sadly, the office I'm in right now is afflicted, although it mainly means that the ceiling lamps stay turned off and floor lamps are used instead.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#162

Post by scrozier » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:08 PM UTC

54, programming for 34 years. Numerous adventures in entrepreneurship, one of them successful. Came back to programming in the last few years because it's the most satisfying work for me. Making stuff that amazes people and makes their lives better is totally rewarding for me.

Nothing wrong with being a craftsman, using your intellect, and making others happy. In some ways, pursuing the elusive "big win" seems a little shallow by comparison.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#163

Post by mengine » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:08 PM UTC

Evbn wrote: post #147

mengine wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just find it sad people write themselves off as never being rich or running their own business. There are 16 year olds making 6 figures writing their own iphone apps yet people view their only alternative to programming is moving to middle management.

It's OK, one day you will get over your insecurities and inferiority complexes, and not fear people who are capable and comfortable of working on a team.

Be sure to thank your employer for their insecurities and inferiority complexes with your next paycheck.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#164

Post by blisper » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:23 PM UTC

MattSayar wrote: post #113

raganwald wrote: post #80

If you're young, be sure to read the responses here very carefully. There are lots of people like me who love what they do at fifty or beyond. Yay! But of course, this sample has survivor bias. How many people who left the profession in their forties are going to post on HN? How many people who are fifty and hate their jobs are going to post on HN? I love what I do and try to share that love. But my advice to you is…

So how did you get to fifty without burning out? The advice I've always seen is a mix of: have a healthy work/life balance, exercise, find satisfaction outside of work, enjoy people more than products, and make sure you actually like what you do and where you do it. Anything else?

In my personal experience, resisting the urge/pressure to get into management (vs. staying in engineering). Management in a larger setup invariably involves having political skills of some sort.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#165

Post by dschiptsov » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:23 PM UTC

wumpushunter wrote: post #99

dschiptsov wrote: post #32

That's solved long ago. There are some underlying concepts, foundation ideas which didn't change much since 1960-70-80s, the time when they have been discovered, studied and defined. Yes, people are piling up tons of crap in order to get money, and this is how we got a millions lines of meaningless Java code which no one could understand or maintain, which seems to work well only because most of unit-tests passed and…

Would you mind sharing the the "few other wonders"? I've been able to pull many programming lessons from the other activity I enjoy, woodworking. When I first started, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of items in catalogs and stores. I didn't know where to begin! And then I discovered Japanese woodworking, and traditional woodworking, and people like James Krenov and Roy Underhill. It is impressive what people h…

MIT Scheme, T3, vi, Gambit-C, postfix, openssh, postgresql, redis, GNU Emacs, clisp

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#166

Post by blisper » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:26 PM UTC

michaelochurch wrote: post #77

I enjoy programming and would like to be doing it at 50, but with regard to the software industry itself... not in its current state. If you want to be able to survive more than 10 years in the software industry, you need to get manager-level clout and full autonomy over your work. That's non-negotiable. This industry destroys you if you don't have those things. The terrifying thing about the software industry is tha…

Current landscape in the industry provides an out for this. Its become easy to blog, contribute code socially, or simply run your own startup on the side, while you slog in your mundane day-job. All this empowerment will only make you hate your employment all the more... so either you will quit or become apathetic.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#167

Post by blisper » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:28 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #4

In short, yes, and I'm in my 40s. I actually returned to programming after years managing programmers in part because I was unhappy. I realized that the further I got from the machine and _making_ the less happy I was. So, if you asked me whether I wanted to be 'managing' at 50, I'd say "Hell, no!". The enjoyment of making things work, learning and shipping it real. I hope I'm still able to feel those things at 80. I…

Its nice to know the grass is greener on my side of the fence..

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#168

Post by saraid216 » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:28 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #81

Surio wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

@Jacquesm, I agree with your FU money concept and I am actively working on that. I think this comment is a byproduct (side-effect?! (-;) of your having achieved FI. But what you mentioned here is what I would consider "Let them eat cake instead" advice. :) Not well thought out. Nostalgia is a very powerful emotion, and besides historical perspectives are based on whatever set of lenses you choose to wear. Actually, o…

My grandparents would have been very happy with time and energy left over for 'hobbies and tinkering'.

I think you both need to remember that you probably have different sets of grandparents living in different circumstances.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#169

Post by potatolicious » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:29 PM UTC

proex wrote: post #112

edw519 wrote: post #60

57, programming for 33 years with hardly a day off, and having more fun than ever. My motivation? It's not about the technology, the tools, the apps, the business, the customers, or even the money, although any of those can provide plenty of motivation. And believe it or not, it's not even about the happy dance feeling I get when something I built works for the first time. It's about the achievements of those who use…

Well, I'm going to get into the work of a real life programmer in a year or so, finishing my degree. Quite frankly, I wouldn't want to be sitting in front of a desktop for 33 years of my own life. Not to criticize you or anything. But coding my entire life, just doesn't feel right, well as of today and the classic cubicle/desk/chair environnement, maybe I didn't pick the right job, it just feels like a very individua…

edw519 is right - software as a field offers tremendous opportunities to create a positive impact on society. If you're not doing that, consider getting another job (it's not as if it's hard right now).

I've been in-industry for 3 years, and in that short time I have written software that:

- substantially reduced plastics, paper, and metal usage in packaging for the largest e-tailer on the planet.

- decreased fuel usage for shipments coming from said e-tailer.

- made air travel better by letting travelers know about delays, cancellations, and last-minute changes before the airlines even know about them. I even help them pick better seats on their flights.

- help people go on more fulfilling, more interesting dates.

I look forward to doing a hell of a lot more than that.

If you don't feel like your work matters, and you don't feel like you have impact on the world, do something else. Software is wonderful in that way.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#170

Post by tremendo » Thu, Oct 04, 2012, 4:31 PM UTC

Fifty? Pfft, sure! I'm almost there, and yes, I want to continue… Now Sixty… I'll confess that my evil "plan" from many moons ago was to—by then—be able to balance this with my other loves, being outside and moving (not just my fingers). I suppose many professions suffer from the same disadvantage, but programming is a slow killer. Eyes, joints, all that clot-inducing sitting, disrupted cicardian-rhythms, too easy to get trapped in bubbles disconnected from reality, you need to be extra-vigilant and pro-active if you care at all about your health and those that love or at least put up with you.