Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

I've been programming for 47 years. I've been offered (and refused) management positions 8 times. I know nothing about management, although I've had it done to me all my life.

Being a programmer all your life is like being a musician. It rarely pays well, it has a lot of issues. Lots of people think of themselves as programmers, just like most people who learn to play an instrument think of themselves as musicians. But there is a vast difference between being able to wrie a program (or play an instrument) and making it into a career.

There are very few musicians who perform throughout their lifetimes. There are very few programmers who write code throughout their lifetimes. You have to love the work.



I like that analogy.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: