[david-gpu]

> I don't mind whether what I'm coding is useful or ends up generating money

This is a problem most commonly seen in junior developers. It leads to them making poor decisions that are not aligned with business goals.

> I'm glad I program because I enjoy it

Spend enough time working in the industry and that will go away.

For your mental health's sake, I hope you find a hobby that is unrelated to your job. What you are describing is a very common path to burnout. Been there, seen many classmates go through it as well.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

I've been programming for closing in on 40 years. I got lucky when I was 32 with a position that let me get out of the industry, stay home and raise my daughter while slowly building a libre software project that has been ongoing for almost 24 years, and making a living from that for the last 14 years.

An important reason things have worked out as they have is because I continue to enjoy coding and I don't allow what I work on to be controlled by "business goals".

While your somewhat cynical take may reflect the experience of an overwhelming majority of the people who write software today, it isn't a description of the only pathway along a life as a programmer.

[loloquwowndueo]

Dunno dude, I’ve been in the industry for almost 3 decades, programming for almost 40 years, and I still enjoy it a lot.

[gmgmgmgmgm]

58, been programming since 13. Still enjoy it. Still both a hobby and a job

[AlchemistCamp]

I think programmers are like writers.

Those who are good at it and love it don't simply retire. They just decrease their hours and continue their craft for as long as they have the health and energy. It probably leads to more healthy years to have something like this.

[imtringued]

I got burnout from weeks of doing nothing during the pandemic. Think about it. What exactly do you put in your timesheet when you haven't written a single line of code or email or responded to a ticket?

[WalterBright]

I haven't burned out yet, and have been writing code for nearly 50 years.