> I support you in whatever endeavor to which your muse directs you. Having a background in coding generally means you’re a good problem-solver, and good problem-solvers are valuable in any vocation.

Ironically for me, the more I got interested in the lower levels of programming, the more I lose sight of the original goal of solving a problem.

I have to juggle between satisfying my curiosity and interest and solving a problem.

I have been in a more management or consulting focused role for 3 years now and i already fear that i am loosing my effectiveness as a programmer. How did the transition back to programming go for you?

In my case, it went well.

I never really took my hand off the programming wheel, while being a manager. I just wasn't being paid for it (bonus was that I have a big open-source portfolio). I just did open-source work in nights and weekends.

When I left my last company, I just made it my full-time vocation, and that went quite smoothly.

I do this for the love of the craft; not the money.

>I do this for the love of the craft; not the money.

I think this is main point. Somehow introducing money into anything seems to drain all the pleasure out of it.

I have to agree. It sucks, because I have skills and experience that could make people with established corporations millions.

They just can't seem to bring themselves to work with people like me, unless they are doing the whole "alpha dog" thing.

The NPO I'm working with can't afford to pay me squat, but I'm not constantly mud-wrestling knuckleheads.

I second this question. I find that "potentially loosing [..] effectiveness" is the least of the problems though, but that a few years of experience in management makes one essentially unhirable for positions that even involve some coding. I saw this from both sides of the table: as employee and hiring manager. It's also not a money problem, accepting less for a coding position does not work.

A career path back to coding just does not exist within the industry. Of course freelancing and founding your own company may be options but in a regular company hierarchy - no way in my experience.

I'd love to be proven wrong of course and I'd love to hear stories to the contrary.

Why does management experience make you unhirable?

I do program every now and then in my spare time, but not to the extent the original commenter does in his spare time.

Interview wise i am doing fine, albeit not for FAANG type roles.

Managers -especially young ones- can be quite insecure. They don't want folks reporting to them that can call BS.

Basic human nature.

TBH, they have a point. I was a manager for many years, and know BS when I smell it. I had a management style that involved a lot of self-reflection and intimate feedback loops with my employees, but I also managed very experienced engineers that all knew more than I did, so treating them with respect, and listening to their counsel, became second nature. It wouldn't have bothered me a bit to have employees that used to be managers, as long as they were good engineers.

Not sure that most managers, these days, operate that way.

That's what I wrote - unhireable for coding positions. Of course management positions don't make you unhireable for management positions. Sure, you can code in your spare time, but how much of that spare time do you have if you take your management position seriously?

Probably the case. Being older than 35, in this industry, is also a killer.

I just gave up looking for work, and am working with some folks on a nonprofit startup. It's great. best decision I ever made.

I am 31 so maybe i have a chance to switch back for a few years, fingers crossed. Thanks for your replies.

Reminds me of a former colleague of mine, he was a manager at a bank for 25 years, I don't know the whole story but one day he made a switch and became a self-employed CSS + accessibility guy.