I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
stackoverflow.blog
I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
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Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#2That’s a very clickbaity title. I was reading the article and sharpening my pitchfork up until the middle when I had to stop and put it down (the metaphorical pitchfork)
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#3From someone who's spent nearly 20 years trying to stay near the bottom of the org chart, welcome!
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#4That’s a very clickbaity title. I was reading the article and sharpening my pitchfork up until the middle when I had to stop and put it down (the metaphorical pitchfork)
Yes, it isn't very clear about whether the demotion was chosen or not. "I followed my dreams to be demoted to software developer" or "I followed my dream of being demoted to..." would be much clearer.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#5That’s a very clickbaity title. I was reading the article and sharpening my pitchfork up until the middle when I had to stop and put it down (the metaphorical pitchfork)
I don't know if I'd call it clickbait. Whimsically worded, sure, but the author did literally go from being a Director of design to an associate software developer so it doesn't seem inaccurate to call it a demotion.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#6Kind of frustrating to see this framed as a "demotion". But it's great to see someone starting over in a new career track that suits them better.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#7An inspirational story that anyone, at any level, can always reinvent themselves given time, patience, and a plan. That said, "demotion" doesn't seem like the right word. Yes, going from Director to general population is technically a step down, but more realistically this is a lateral move. In a lateral move sometimes you get to keep your pay but almost never your rank.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#8From someone who's spent nearly 20 years trying to stay near the bottom of the org chart, welcome!
I've always fought to stay a developer as well. It seems that as soon as I know a codebase well enough to be really productive, there is a "team lead" or "scrum master" role waiting. Once or twice I've even fallen for it but the result have always been more meetings, less customer interaction, more responsibility and somehow less power over the product. Pay has stayed the same of course.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#9I just get a feeling that no matter how privileged you are, how intelligent you are, how high or low a position you are in, or how much money you make there is going to be some random article on HN to make you feel insecure.
Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer
#10That’s a very clickbaity title. I was reading the article and sharpening my pitchfork up until the middle when I had to stop and put it down (the metaphorical pitchfork)
I don't know if I'd call it clickbait. Whimsically worded, sure, but the author did literally go from being a Director of design to an associate software developer so it doesn't seem inaccurate to call it a demotion.
This might be excessively nitpicky, but the use of the phrase "_got_ demoted" (emphasis mine) implies to me a lack of control over the situation. It's technically correct, but it sounds like it was a punishment rather than what it actually was (namely, a career choice).