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Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

improvingsoftware.com

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Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#11

Post by codeonfire »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #3

i'd suggest that intelligent employers realize that the language and stack are only a very small part of building a product. The more interesting problems are hard not due to language, but due to algorithms, data structuring, design patters and general architecting et al. The 10yr C++ programmer ought to have those things nailed, the junior may not know they even exist.

that's a good suggestion. it will fall on deaf ears because employers don't read anything on the Internet and they hate engineers, especially old ones. they can't get basic things like don't sexually harass employees right, so how are they going to get age discrimination right.

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#13

Post by eldavido »

josephagoss wrote: post #6

I'm not a fan of this plan B stuff when you're 40. Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers? How depressing. > The half-life of an engineer, software or hardware, is only a few years. And I still don't get this. Move out of software and you'll find loads of over 40's and over 50's engi…

I completely agree and the sad truth is that we software people do it to ourselves by devaluing the contributions of older/more experienced people.

OTOH if we move toward a more professional / credentialed / high-status profession that won't be all roses, what with exams, high barriers to entry, slow/uniform career progression, etc. I don't like not having a plan after 40 but I do enjoy how meritocratic the industry is, and how it really does reward hard work more than just, say, years worked.

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#14

Post by danieltillett »

I only became a semi-fulltime developer after 40, but I have the advantage of working for myself and 20 years of non- software domain experience. I think the key to developer longevity is having other skills so that once your percieved value as a developer declines you have other skills to fall back on.

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#15

Post by comp1927 »

bikamonki wrote: post #2

More options: - Go solo. At 40 you should be experienced enough to handle up to mid-sized projects, alone and on a reasonable time-frame. Try to pick projects that your clients will actually use, with new features and support contracts you will have steady income for the long-term. - Go startup. Stop thinking you need to come up with the next über-for-x. There are plenty of opportunities for small sass shops that cat…

Latex's author already prove it wrong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#16

Post by raldi »

comp1927 wrote: post #15
bikamonki wrote: post #2

More options: - Go solo. At 40 you should be experienced enough to handle up to mid-sized projects, alone and on a reasonable time-frame. Try to pick projects that your clients will actually use, with new features and support contracts you will have steady income for the long-term. - Go startup. Stop thinking you need to come up with the next über-for-x. There are plenty of opportunities for small sass shops that cat…

Latex's author already prove it wrong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth

Prove what wrong?

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#17

Post by isomorphic »

comp1927 wrote: post #15
bikamonki wrote: post #2

More options: - Go solo. At 40 you should be experienced enough to handle up to mid-sized projects, alone and on a reasonable time-frame. Try to pick projects that your clients will actually use, with new features and support contracts you will have steady income for the long-term. - Go startup. Stop thinking you need to come up with the next über-for-x. There are plenty of opportunities for small sass shops that cat…

Latex's author already prove it wrong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth

I grant your point, but that's a bit like saying Einstein was a good physicist.

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#18

Post by [deleted] »

comp1927 wrote: post #15
bikamonki wrote: post #2

More options: - Go solo. At 40 you should be experienced enough to handle up to mid-sized projects, alone and on a reasonable time-frame. Try to pick projects that your clients will actually use, with new features and support contracts you will have steady income for the long-term. - Go startup. Stop thinking you need to come up with the next über-for-x. There are plenty of opportunities for small sass shops that cat…

Latex's author already prove it wrong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth

[deleted]

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#19

Post by crdoconnor »

josephagoss wrote: post #6

I'm not a fan of this plan B stuff when you're 40. Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers? How depressing. > The half-life of an engineer, software or hardware, is only a few years. And I still don't get this. Move out of software and you'll find loads of over 40's and over 50's engi…

>Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers?

They have unions.

Doctors and lawyers also have strong protections from foreign competition. It simply doesn't matter if you are the best doctor or lawyer if you trained outside of the United States. You won't be allowed to practise until you qualify in the US.

Re: Programmers: Before you turn 40, get a plan B (2009)

#20

Post by danieltillett »

bikamonki wrote: post #2

More options: - Go solo. At 40 you should be experienced enough to handle up to mid-sized projects, alone and on a reasonable time-frame. Try to pick projects that your clients will actually use, with new features and support contracts you will have steady income for the long-term. - Go startup. Stop thinking you need to come up with the next über-for-x. There are plenty of opportunities for small sass shops that cat…

The problem with age is you become less flexible. If your have a business where you know what you will be doing in 6 months time then experience is great - when your plans change weekly then the flexibility of youth is what you want.
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