> I can map most new / novel problems to a variation of something I have seen before I think you're implying that the "something you've seen before" is an appr

> I can map most new / novel problems to a variation of something I have seen before I think you're implying that the "something you've seen before" is an approach that also works to solve the current problem. In this case, the problem you've encountered isn't truly novel to you. This may be sufficient for your purposes (career, interest, etc.), but it by no means suggests that there are no problems that you haven't experienced in any way, shape or form. (Nor do I think you're trying to imply that you know everything! :-) ) But this does illustrate my point: It's very easy to become convinced that one has exhausted all possible experiences if your career or interests aren't pushing you to seek out truly novel ones. When industry shifts happen (and they do) this leaves many "experienced" developers out in the cold. This is also why people with intrinsic motivation tend to fare better when these shifts happen: They tend to seek out opportunities to experience something novel. The down side is that there's a significant population who are older and experiencing the problem for the first time in their careers. This leads to the stereotype of "old and out of date" which, sadly bleeds over onto the truly skilled.