[khalilravanna]

I think you're right that being really good at HTML/CSS/design is hard AND being really good at writing complicated UI code in JS is hard. They're both hard problems (or can be!). Where I disagree is that moving from an expertise in one to another is asymmetric (JS -> HTML/CSS [easy], HTML/CSS -> JS [hard]). I think it just depends on a person's interests. Some people really only care about the complicated logic so they'll stick to the JS side of things. Some really only care about design and visual aspect so they'll stick to HTML/CSS. Some people can do both very well. And of course there's a million permutations in between. What matters the most I think is whether a person's interested. If a person is interested they'll learn anything eventually. That and likely they'll learn it better than someone who's not interested who's had more time/experience.

I think when you're going to hire someone you should try and screen for interest in the things you need them to do. That and screen for a proven ability to learn things quickly (cognitive ability). That or you take a calculated risk when hiring.

[yuchi]

My comment a little bit rushed. What I meant is not that an HTML+CSS dev cannot move to the other side, but that the frontend developers I saw in the last ten years falled in the one of the two categories. Those willing to move to UI/app development already did — or are vocal about wanting to do it.

Totally quote on hiring.