Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really don't think of myself as some sort of genius. It's not productive to feel that way. I want to believe that software is something everyone can do. But I just haven't observed that in real life. I think it's folly to compare the intelligence of a tradesman to a software developer (or anyone for that matter). But there is SOMETHING, that not everyone has (or maybe just doesn't want to obtain), that's required t…
I don't think you need to be particularly smart to be an avg software developer; the older I get the more I realise how average I am. When I started work as a teenager I used to think I was a brilliant programmer - hah, no way! But I do think you need an interest in the practice and a certain mindset, just like any other job. I do it because I quite enjoy writing certain types of software, which I often don't get to…
Re: Just Your Handyman
#81Interesting that you and another responder upthread both want to measure salary worthiness against (degree to which the role is) "making society better". I wasn't making a broader statement about what society _should_value, rather a more direct observation that software developers typically generate more value than they receive in compensation, from the perspective of their employers' balance sheets. I've worked at companies where engineering generated over $5m ARR per developer. None of us saw even 10% of that. In software companies, execs are typically overpaid, and tech talent is underpaid.