[zimpenfish]

I'm an "older" programmer and I love doing basic CRUD for work. Largely because it can pay very well, is reasonably hard to get wrong (= happy management = renewed contracts = happy me) and takes very little of my limited brain power.

If I want risky projects that might be spectacular failures, I'll do them in my spare time -- I really don't want those in front of the people signing my pay cheques...

[seanmcdirmid]

When you are young, you can make risky bets with your retirement investments; not so much when you are older when you should be preferring safer bets instead.

I would think that the same is true with career management, especially after you 30 something and have a family to worry about.

But to be honest, the amount of age discrimination in our industry has me really scared about getting older.

[beobab]

"Especially after you 30 something" Ouch! That's not old! :) (am i old - oh noes!)

[zimpenfish]

Bloody hell, if 30 is old, there's a glue factory looming in my immediate future.

[seanmcdirmid]

I think the "having a family" part is more important in than being 30+, though the two events are often correlated.

[quaffapint]

Bada bing - That's where things get serious. You can go play with the startups, but once you have a family to support, whether you're 28 or 48, you need to do what needs to be done, whether it's your favorite or not. Luckily for me, I have the opportunity to still program and not be stuck in management, but there are many that didn't have that choice to keep a steady paycheck.