| HN (and perhaps SV) might be a bit of an echo chamber that doesn't reflect industry overall. In most decently sized cities, there seem to be plenty of development jobs available that make heavy use of solid software engineering and architecture using reliable, proven technology. It's only anecdotal, but I know plenty of developers working for banks, manufacturers, and government who enjoy their jobs and get to solve problems that are interesting and challenging from both business and technical perspectives. They're not using outdated technology, either. The perception here sometimes seems to be that Java and .NET are slow moving dinosaurs, but they're both evolving, and organizations that from the outside seem stuffy and boring actually aren't afraid to keep up with the changes. Interestingly, the devs I know at these companies also seem to enjoy a much higher status among their non-dev coworkers than devs at many startups and software product companies. I'm not sure why it has worked out this way, but it seems that in businesses where software isn't the end product, it's often easier for developers to be seen as trusted solvers of business problems rather than assembly line workers who are just stitching together raw materials to reify someone else's visions and ideas. Before I digress too much, I'll circle back around to my point: it's still very possible to ignore the current front end development circus and enjoy a good career as a developer without the risk of turning yourself into an out of date dinosaur. I'm also not implying that the worldview on HN is wrong, or that startups are bad, or that the current JS ecosystem is the worst thing ever. I'm just trying to remind everyone that there's a pretty big world out there where development skills are in demand, and a huge portion of that work doesn't involve front end work at all! It's even better if you're a developer who understands business (or is willing to learn). If you're a developer at a non-tech company, your ability to quickly create software that solve business problems can make you seem like a magician. |