Comment by mattfrommars | Hacker News Reader

Comment by mattfrommars | Hacker News Reader

Looking back in my life when I was born a year after Tavish Armstrong, I just feel so, disappointed how my life turned out to be. I had similar dreams and hope but they didn't work out in the end.

Only if I told my younger self to actually go through the Macromedia Flash book I borrowed once in high school, I would have had my first glimpse in computing. But during my early days, I never had anyone who was remotely interested in computers. I wasn't great at socializing either which would have lead me to people who were in machines. There was AP CS course at my university but I never took it only because I thought it was too hard and instead took AP Calc.

Without any concept of computing or the power of programming, how can a kid get into life of software development? All the random success stories I've read of popular programmers these days, all of their younger days began with someone giving them a gift or some 'assembly' language computer and started from there.

Wish the pursuit of programming caught me much earlier in life than right now, went into wrong major and always thought about programming, programming. Having friends and family who aren't into computers didn't help either until last year. So much life was wasted.

I used to spend 14 hours sitting at my computer installing weird operating systems and learning to code and hack games when I was 10. I still do basically the same thing at 30 but its cloud systems instead of games and will probably do this the rest of my life. If this isn't something that you are naturally driven to why force yourself to it? Find what you love and put your best effort into it. If what you love is just hanging out then be happy with that.

Don't get too caught up with success stories about "epic programmers", there's more than one path to a what you want. Stay focused and you'll get closer everyday.

It's never too late! And the cool thing about programming is that you can pursue it at a high level as a hobby. Nobody can prevent you to develop cool programs during your free time.

Programming is a massively useful skill in most non-programming professions too (assuming you do office work). You can automate so many tedious tasks, analyse data so much better when you can code something. Even if you don't become a full time programmer, you can easily end up spending 10-20% of your time adding value in your job by coding on the side.

How old are you? If you are less =< 25, it's not too late. I started self studying CS then after many aimless years. Then I got my first junior position at 48k and after 3 years of raises and job changes I'm at 100k+

I'm 27. That's too late?

too late for what? if you enjoy programing just keep programing.

No, I don't think so. I was just applying the number from my own experience when I thought it was too late. There are many paths to success!

Not at all. But you need to specialise and master a chosen sub-field. Like, I consider myself a programming languages guy because I love type theory. Others love exploring functional programming, OOP, Rust, or whatever. Whatever you like, just get into it and explore, and try to build and ship cool stuff if you can.

Everyone has periods of low productivity, you just need to roll with the punches and keep learning and building whenever you can.

I got my first real programming job at age 40, and had only seriously started programming a few years before that.

I got my first real programming job at 38. It's never too late if it's what you want to do.

In my case, I learned how to program when I was much younger but it was never actually my job - or at least, not the primary component of my job. I kind of backed into it, writing more complicated scripts which helped automate what I was getting paid to do, until I eventually just got a "real" programming job.

The big thing I think I have in common with the OP: I always try to automate every task possible. This can allow you to add value for your organization above and beyond whatever primary task they hired you to complete, and any company worth its salt will recognize that contribution and try to find ways to help you contribute more elsewhere too.

Why does (your) salary matter in this discussion?

I guess I (mis?)interpreted the above poster's reasoning for not pursuing programming "this late" was the money aspect because otherwise it makes no sense to me. Most anyone at anytime could learn to program if they don't care if it will make them money. I.e. I could only imagine someone not pursuing it because they thought it was too late for it to be a career for them.

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