Ask HN: I've realized I'm a bad software engineer and I'm over 30, what's next?

Sounds like you've got a great opportunity to learn what you don't yet know: you already have a list of things you know you need to work on, a codebase, and a job. Do you think one or more of your co-workers would be willing to give you feedback? Would you be willing to take time (maybe extra time, 'off the clock') to practice?

If, e.g., hard-coding is where you're at, maybe something like working your way through 'Code Complete' would be of help, but I would pair the reading with doing, as close to the company's codebase and personnel as makes sense.

I've heard tell of people who asked to be shifted to a lower-level position so they could work at the level they were comfortable with.

that you can self-critique would indicate you potentially have a great future of leveling-up ahead of you.

When you get knocked off your horse you either give up or stand up. Maybe you are feeling it really hurt. But you’ve invested a lot in this industry and career, so don’t give up after your first real challenge. Get the fuck up and figure out how to deliver successfully on this project 1) what parts can you solve? Do those 2) for the parts you can’t, how can you? How do you break it down into specific problems? In this case, maybe one piece is centralizing hard coded variables into one place. What’s the best way to do that? Once you have specific questions, you’ll be able to find specific answers. Start working through them. If you can’t find self help, what about some colleagues you’ve amassed over 10 years? Worst case ask your manager, at some point you can’t bullshit things anymore, but give it an honest try first and outline what you were able to do and which problem(s) you are stuck on and what you tried already. Your manager will appreciate your ownership and your concrete ask for help.

Context: I made a career change and got fired from my first job 5 months in. It was devastating, but I got back up and got another job. I got a second job, went ok until i got a manager who said I was focused on the wrong things. After a year he kept complaining about it and in the end gave me a bad performance review. It left me shaken. I got back up and got a third job, where I am today, and I am crushing it. I still doubt myself, I still have wounds from before, and I even have doubts sometimes if I could succeed elsewhere, but I keep getting better, and getting up when I’m knocked off.

Good luck