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Mugoya Dihfahsih
Mugoya Dihfahsih

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What I wish I had known before becoming a software developer.

Leave work early and have a side-hustle.

Because you are not going to stay in the corporate world for long if you love hands-on technical work like coding, even if you are in a tech firm.

The longer you work, you are going to realize the only way up is to move to management or sales.

When that time comes, you no longer touch code. You will make a lot more money, but you would probably miss coding and do it on your free time anyway.

The alternative is that you stay as a line level grunt, making considerably less money than your peers who have moved up, and becoming disillusioned with the company, the industry, or life in general.

Either way, your only hope is what you do in your free time. If there’s one thing in the world left for a technical person to do with all the limited time he/she has in life, it is to code.

By learning new technologies or even practicing your existing skills, you could either 1) build your own profitable products, 2) start a profitable consulting practice, or even 3) find a better job oppportunity.

Thinking back, I should even start when I was in university.

Top comments (3)

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nicholaslash profile image
soundsmitten

This may be a reality for the corporate position you were in, but from I’ve seen, this hasn’t been the case. I’ve seen people at my jobs rise from junior to mid level, to senior, to PSE and then to architect. They are as highly paid as the upper management and they have just as much, if not more impact. They are more sheltered from managerial politics, and companies do not take them for granted because they can jump ship as they please. That being said, at some jobs, being an individual contributor may become the dead end you are describing, but it’s not a generalization I think is completely true.

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dihfahsih1 profile image
Mugoya Dihfahsih

It was absolutely my opinion. Your insight is awesome and that's the truth

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lautarolobo profile image
Lautaro Lobo

Good insight, thanks!