I only use the word old because the author does.
I had forgotten that being a software engineer was my first, best destiny, and that nothing I had ever done had made as significant contribution as my coding. My first successful company was built upon a piece of software I wrote, and much of it is still in use today.
So, after a year of kicking myself in the behind, I started throwing away my pre-conceived ideas of what the industry was all about. I started learning new languages, and taking risks. I got lucky, and by the time I was 57, I ended up designing and building one of the best pieces of software I had ever written for a small local startup. It was big, bold, visionary, and made a difference.
So, for those of you in the same boat, I’ve tried to distill some conclusions I’ve reached after finally digging myself back out and finding my true calling again.
Gary Wisniewski writes one of the best articles you can read today. His advice and his story are both excellent. It makes me wonder just how much the industry will change over the next thirty years.
