Re:Aging programmer
by RichardCNormos on Saturday September 24, 2022 @10:34PM
(#32968457)
I manage a couple of developers that are in their late 40s. It's great. I just say, "hey, can you handle this complex, ill-defined task?" and they get it done right, the first time. No real management necessary.
An older, grizzled, battle-hardened engineer is one of a manager's best assets.
The older I get, the more I think it is not the company itself but middle-managers.
Managers with an authoritarian streak will have trouble handling experienced developers that objects to non-optimal designs and processes.
It is much easier for such a manager to handle young naïve developers that gladly accept to work 5 times as many hours as a good design needs.
Software don't work well with an "do as I say, no matter how stupid it is" approach. I think that is why Silicon Valley (and Europe) has much greater success writing software than asia/India.