A Nearly 40-Year-Old Man: Starting Over with Coding in 2025
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I haven't written code for 10 years.
From my own review and analysis, to deliver a high-quality and satisfactory technical asset at the age of nearly 40, the following conditions are needed:
conditions
Sufficient energy
It's more likely an impulse from a physiological perspective, like doing 100-meter sprints continuously without giving up halfway due to external interference.
Freedom in time management
Note that it's not about having enough free time, but having the ability to arrange and control your time. You need to be able to piece together long periods of time every two weeks because you need long periods of concentration.
Strong communication skills
Manage the expectations of clients well, and analyze the demands of clients from the aspects of business, goals, costs, and IT. Explain the technical solutions to clients, translate complex technical logic in clear language, and even reach consensus with partners without technical backgrounds.
Extensive knowledge domain
Efficiently retrieve the dormant knowledge in your mind and know how to quickly learn new technologies to cover the blind spots of knowledge.
Key breakthrough points
- How to shift from a state of "feeling bad and self-denial" to a beginner's state (in fact, having a higher vision and direction than beginners).
- How to make up for the technical shortcomings in a short period.
- Engineering habits: The results analyzed through your own experience should be divided into tasks, cooperate with the team or AI, and let everyone collaborate automatically through a tool chain like DevOps.
Tips to break the deadlock
- Improve the working environment, such as a large monitor necessary for coding.
- You must learn to use AI tools, whether it's a vertical auxiliary coding tool or a general chat.
- Three brands or three production processes of coffee.
AI can't replace the "coding behavior" of writing good products.
However, not understanding the influence trend of AI on programming and even product research and development will also make you trapped in the thinking of "conventional products" and unable to create excellent products with "expressive ability".