[throwaway0asd]

Programming is diverse, so let me explain from my narrow perspective.

I am a JavaScript developer. I am much older than you. It is very much a young persons game, but let me qualify this.

Most people actively programming JavaScript for employment cannot program, at least not to the level considered minimally employable in many lesser popular programming fields. Hiring is structured around this, so much so that employers much make a specific dedicated choice between a risk adverse tool user versus an innovative problem solver focused on product superiority. They will almost certainly choose the former because it’s a safer option. Employers willing to take a risk on developers interested in doing original higher quality work tend to be those that work harder to retain their developers.

So there’s that.

On the other hand I didn’t start programming until I was 28. It didn’t take long to become better than average. Now, a bazillion years later, I can do things now that are vastly superior to what the big companies are putting out. It’s not because I am talented or a child prodigy. It’s because I measure things and make original decisions not based on popularity or some community consensus bullshit.

[bigpeopleareold]

I like this point-of-view about people who programs to get hired. In one way or another, I seen plenty of people like that. These are people I will absolutely never hire, precisely because I cannot count on them to broaden their horizon and talk about or challenge the direction of projects. Of course, those things shouldn't take away from orderly production of software, but a truly excellent software engineer shows depth in understanding of their craft in practice. It's really good that this, for me, has consistently shown itself in interviews, even with junior developers.