5 ms·

The point of most jobs in the world is to "solve problems". So why did you pick software over those?

MountDoom 1y ago
The honest answer that applies to almost everyone here is that as a kid, they liked playing computer games and heard that the job pays well. It's interesting, because to become a plumber, you pretty much need a plumber parent or a friend to get you interested in the trade show you the ropes. Meanwhile, software engineering is closer to the universal childhood dream of "I want to become an astronaut" or "I want to be a pop star", except more attainable. It's very commoditized by now, so if you're looking for that old-school hacker ethos, you're gonna be disappointed.
- OkayPhysicist 1y ago
  I think you're grossly underestimating the number of people here who fell into software development because it's one of the best outlets for "the knack" in existence. Sure, this site is split between the "tech-bro entrepreneur"-types and developers, and there are plenty of developers who got into this for the cash, but in my experience about a quarter of developers (so maybe 10-15% of users on this site) got into this profession due to getting into programming because it fed an innate need to tinker, and then after they spent a ton of time on it discovered that it was the best way to pay the bills available to them.
  - wing-_-nuts 1y ago
    I got stupidly lucky that one of my hobbies as an avid indoorsman was not only valued by the private sector but also happened to pay well. This career was literally the only thing that saved me from a life of poverty.
    - cool_man_bob 1y ago
      Don’t worry, once you’re no longer needed you’ll get to experience that life of poverty you missed out.
      - wing-_-nuts 1y ago
        Nah, I've reached the point where I'll be just fine. Don't worry about me.
    - jimbokun 1y ago
      Yep, and the younger people like us growing up now are just fucked.
whynotminot 1y ago
Why would someone who likes solving problems choose a very lucrative career path solving problems… hmmm You can also solve problems as a local handyman but that doesn’t pad the 401K quite as well as a career in software. I feel like there’s a lot of tech-fetishist right now on the “if you don’t deeply love to write code then just leave!” train without somehow realizing that most of us have our jobs because we need to pay bills, not because it’s our burning passion.
- veegee 1y ago
  Sounds like a mediocre developer. No respect for people like you.
  - whynotminot 1y ago
    It’s a good thing I haven’t needed your respect so far to have a pretty successful career as a software engineer.
  - cool_man_bob 1y ago
    [flagged]
  - 0x457 1y ago
    A bit harsh off a single post. I like solving problems, not just software engineering problems and I like writing code as a hobby, but I went to this job field only due to high salary and benefits. In fact, I usually hate writing code at day job because it is boring things 20 out of 26 sprints.
    - Barrin92 1y ago
      >A bit harsh off a single post. I don't think it is. Labeling passion and love for your work "tech fetishism", is spiritually bankrupt. Mind you we're in general here not talking about people working in a mine to survive, which is a different story. But people who do have a choice in their career, doing something they have no love for solely to add more zeros to their bank account? That is the fetish, that is someone who has himself become an automaton. It's no surprise they seem to take no issues with LLMs because they're already living like one. Like how devoid of curiosity do you have to be to do something half your waking life that you don't appreciate if you're very likely someone who has the freedom to choose?
aleph_minus_one 1y ago
> The point of most jobs in the world is to "solve problems". So why did you pick software over those? Because in a lot of jobs where you (have to) solve problems, the actual problems to solve are rather "political". So, if you are not good at office politics or you are not a good diplomat, software is often a much better choice.

The honest answer that applies to almost everyone here is that as a kid, they liked playing computer games and heard that the job pays well. It's interesting, because to become a plumber, you pretty much need a plumber parent or a friend to get you interested in the trade show you the ropes. Meanwhile, software engineering is closer to the universal childhood dream of "I want to become an astronaut" or "I want to be a pop star", except more attainable. It's very commoditized by now, so if you're looking for that old-school hacker ethos, you're gonna be disappointed.

OkayPhysicist 1y ago
I think you're grossly underestimating the number of people here who fell into software development because it's one of the best outlets for "the knack" in existence. Sure, this site is split between the "tech-bro entrepreneur"-types and developers, and there are plenty of developers who got into this for the cash, but in my experience about a quarter of developers (so maybe 10-15% of users on this site) got into this profession due to getting into programming because it fed an innate need to tinker, and then after they spent a ton of time on it discovered that it was the best way to pay the bills available to them.
- wing-_-nuts 1y ago
  I got stupidly lucky that one of my hobbies as an avid indoorsman was not only valued by the private sector but also happened to pay well. This career was literally the only thing that saved me from a life of poverty.
  - cool_man_bob 1y ago
    Don’t worry, once you’re no longer needed you’ll get to experience that life of poverty you missed out.
    - wing-_-nuts 1y ago
      Nah, I've reached the point where I'll be just fine. Don't worry about me.
  - jimbokun 1y ago
    Yep, and the younger people like us growing up now are just fucked.

whynotminot 1y ago

Why would someone who likes solving problems choose a very lucrative career path solving problems… hmmm You can also solve problems as a local handyman but that doesn’t pad the 401K quite as well as a career in software. I feel like there’s a lot of tech-fetishist right now on the “if you don’t deeply love to write code then just leave!” train without somehow realizing that most of us have our jobs because we need to pay bills, not because it’s our burning passion.

veegee 1y ago
Sounds like a mediocre developer. No respect for people like you.
- whynotminot 1y ago
  It’s a good thing I haven’t needed your respect so far to have a pretty successful career as a software engineer.
- cool_man_bob 1y ago
  [flagged]
- 0x457 1y ago
  A bit harsh off a single post. I like solving problems, not just software engineering problems and I like writing code as a hobby, but I went to this job field only due to high salary and benefits. In fact, I usually hate writing code at day job because it is boring things 20 out of 26 sprints.
  - Barrin92 1y ago
    >A bit harsh off a single post. I don't think it is. Labeling passion and love for your work "tech fetishism", is spiritually bankrupt. Mind you we're in general here not talking about people working in a mine to survive, which is a different story. But people who do have a choice in their career, doing something they have no love for solely to add more zeros to their bank account? That is the fetish, that is someone who has himself become an automaton. It's no surprise they seem to take no issues with LLMs because they're already living like one. Like how devoid of curiosity do you have to be to do something half your waking life that you don't appreciate if you're very likely someone who has the freedom to choose?

aleph_minus_one 1y ago

> The point of most jobs in the world is to "solve problems". So why did you pick software over those? Because in a lot of jobs where you (have to) solve problems, the actual problems to solve are rather "political". So, if you are not good at office politics or you are not a good diplomat, software is often a much better choice.