Software development is magic to most people. You have the same laptop as them, and somehow you make stuff that works and makes them money by flexing your finge

Software development is magic to most people. You have the same laptop as them, and somehow you make stuff that works and makes them money by flexing your fingers. They don't know how to internalize that - they are dealing with a magician that turns dirt into gold and gets paid by the hour. It's totally irrational. If you were a plumber then there would be a physical manifestation of the work. Software managers who have never written code are also often suspect, in my opinion. They can be professionals of magic management without understanding, liking, or even appreciating their field.