Just another perspective: I was management through my 30's, went back to programming in my 40's for various reasons (mostly control of schedule and ability to p

Just another perspective: I was management through my 30's, went back to programming in my 40's for various reasons (mostly control of schedule and ability to pursue side projects). I really enjoyed getting back up to speed and learning new languages such as Python, Javascript, C#, as well as new tools and workflows (git etc). Right now though, I actually miss managing, in the sense that I enjoyed being in the tech lead/CTO position, and leveraging the combined talent of an excellent team. You may want to shoot for that sort of position, once you get your skillset as an "individual contributor" up to where it needs to be. It would seem somewhat self-defeating to spin your 10 years as "pushing paper", when you could presumably call it "leading a team to victory" or at least avoiding abject defeat. The truth is, a combo of tech skill and social awareness enough to herd cats is a very valuable thing in our industry, I wouldn't throw it away due to frustration or boredom. Also, do some personal FOSS projects and get your github account looking active.