I'm 53 and, at 50, thought my coding career was over. I had failed to keep with the latest tech and was also aware of the ageism conversations. I was afraid. Bu

I'm 53 and, at 50, thought my coding career was over. I had failed to keep with the latest tech and was also aware of the ageism conversations. I was afraid. But I bet against my fears and focused seriously on bringing myself up-to-date. Also largely eliminated various distractions in my life while doing so. I now have the most interesting job of my long career (I've been in tech since the late '80s). If you have a history of success and you're reasonably smart (I'm no genius), I'm proof that it's possible in the current economic climate. For some people, moving out of coding and into management is a good way to extend your shelf life. For me (not a good manager), the opposite turned out to be true.