Ask HN: Steps to becoming a software engineer at FAANG?

Some background: Early 30s, no programming experience. Interested in starting with Python as that is the language that has the most intuitive syntax for me, and because of its obvious popularity in the AI/ML world.

Questions: 1) Is it too late to become a software engineer at FAANG or other companies with similar compensation? Money is not the only driving factor, but it is helpful. Assume a reasonably motivated individual, but no prior programming experience and minimal math experience.

2) If it is not too late, what would be a well-delineated roadmap for someone to become a software engineer (courses/textbooks/math/etc) that is interested in AI/ML/GenAI? Currently going through CS50 Programming with Python.

3) Do AI/ML/GenAI jobs typically want a Masters/PhD CS grad? What other areas of software engineering are interesting and/or underexplored?

So instead of getting an education and finding an entry level job, you want to go straight to the top.

I'll put it this way, I have over a decade of experience and I've interviewed at 2 of the FAANGs. Never got hired though.

I've still made a ton of money . More money then I ever thought I would. You probably need to be more realistic. Even if you're only making 120 or 130k , That's still much more than most people ever will.

First, getting hired at a FAANG is not easy. How many years are you willing to work, not work at a job, but just work at getting hired?

Second, FAANGs pay well, but the work/life balance is often terrible. How many years are you willing to have no life, in order to get that kind of money?

I would suggest that you think about having more of a life, even if you have less money, rather than grinding away at a chance at grinding away at a job that pays a lot. Your 30s are some good years. Live them; don't just work during them.

But the first steps look the same. Learn a language - any one. Python is fine. And, whatever you're doing now, look for ways to help your work with a little programming - a script here that automates a manual process, a script there that makes something easier. Depending on your work environment, you may not even need to ask for permission to do those things. But now you have written code that's actually used. That opens doors at your current job to do more. Along this route, you get experience, and you get paid to get it. It's a wonderful thing if you can get it to happen.