You talk as if they're smart enough to learn something new.

They're either smart or they're not. Which one is it?

Here's something new, perhaps: some things are much easier to learn than others.

Obviously, but that doesn't change my mind here.

If you're in the 1% of top performers, you have the cognitive ability to learn new things.

> Obviously, but that doesn't change my mind here.

> If you're in the 1% of top performers, you have the cognitive ability to learn new things.

I had to stop and admire the subtle self-deprecating humour on display between those two statements. Well played!

That would be funny if it were true.

They are “smart enough” to have learned the previous generation of tools while in school or in the early parts of their careers (where expectations are lower), and not “smart enough” to learn the next generation of tools while also doing their full time jobs.

So, ok, but anyone thinking about entering the field can see that they’ll be left in a lurch when they hit mid career.

We’ve already run this experiment for a generation or two; anyone smart enough to finish an engineering degree can just go do a programming career afterwards, where the work and career advancement is easier. Now we have imported chips and a million JavaScript frameworks.

Up above we see "Then you start learning the Starbucks menu". Does that seem like an honest take here? Surely folks "dancing around the fundamental constraints of reality" aren't about to start whipping up frappuccinos because they failed to keep up with industry trends and plan ahead, right?

My good friend from high school has a PhD and was a published expert in a field that stopped being relevant when his company acquired another company and went with their tech.

He was laid off and unemployable in the field. He survived as a Starbucks manager and sold Herbalife for a year while getting some additional education. I was able to help him get a contract as a tech writer to get out of the retail stuff. Now he’s a director level person in a cybersecurity firm.

The one true path is obvious on message boards, but the reality is people find themselves in bad places sometimes.

I'm glad to hear your friend is doing well now. You're a good friend for helping him in his time of need like that.