Fyi.... This type of advice has been given in many essays using different words. Probably the one that HN is most familiar with is "Don't Call Yourself A Progr

Fyi.... This type of advice has been given in many essays using different words. Probably the one that HN is most familiar with is "Don't Call Yourself A Programmer,"[0]. Another variation on the same theme "avoid being paid for code"[1]. tldr: try not to be just a "code monkey" but shift your perspective up the value hierarchy so you can provide business solutions. Try not to be an interchangeable and commoditized "cog in the wheel". IMO, what this essay leaves out is that many people self-select into "product manager" type roles because that's more interesting and fulfilling than coding all day long. On the other hand, other types of programmers prefer to stay "heads down" and just code instead of interfacing with customers. [0] https://hn.algolia.com/?query=don%27t%20call%20yourself%20a%20programmer https://hn.algolia.com/?query=don%27t%20call%20yourself%20a%... [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18227768 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18227768