Wondering if I'm losing my passion for code

Question

Hello everybody. I am new to this board. Since getting my BS/MS in computer science, I've been working in the industry since Jan 2003. Initially I was having a blast coding bleeding edge C++ technology at a research lab.

Then, sometime, after I got married I guess, I turned into a zombie and became a test/QA droid. I tried getting back into software development once again, working as a C++ dev. at a startup, but that lasted less than a year (I got fired for "performance reasons), and so I once again got sucked back into the test/QA borg at a major corporation. It seems as if all the interesting engineering work has been off-shored to competent, lower cost programmers all across the world.

Now I wonder if the only logical way to progress from here is to get an MBA or something and become a total corporate droid.

I've even taken steps toward this goal of becoming C3PO by signing up for an Intro to Business class at a local community college. Never thought that i would end up a businessperson.

So... is this because I'm losing my passion for code, or is the world changing to the point where code is a commodity skill, and so I'm now evolving and adapting?

Answer 1

If work to you is just "work" you are in the wrong field. If you enjoyed your job at the startup, go find another like it. If you did not enjoy the job at the startup, then you need to find something else to do for a living.

Answer 2

Careers change and evolve, there is nothing that says you won't make a great manager that any developer would be happy to have because of your rich development background. After all, if no developers go on to be managers, then how would we ever end up with managers who know anything about development?

Answer 3

Maybe you should try management.

Answer 4

Thats something you have to ask yourself, do you still enjoy writing code, if not then I would say the passion is gone, but probably not gone.
If you'r at a point where programming is becoming boring, or uninteresting (as it has been for me), then pick up a new language, it has helped me enjoy writing code again, because there is a challenge, with PHP (my primary langauge) I know it well enough that I don't fell chalenged by it anymore and in turn I started to get bored, so I am learning Python, and am starting to have fun again.

Answer 5

If you're consistently doubting your passion for coding then the answer is YES.

Answer 6

There are more programmers, sure, but how many are good programmers? And how many programmers are actually software developers?

Good developers and software engineers are always in demand. You mentioned "performance reasons", so did you sit down and try to analyze what went wrong and what you could have done different? Maybe the answer lies there?

Also, I try not to be judgmental, but sometimes, one is simply not cut out to be a good programmer... maybe your strengths lie somewhere else. And sorry if this sounds harsh, but looks like you let yourself settle into the 'drone' role and possibly unwilling to take responsibility.

Answer 7

I think I've felt like you do now. In my case it was mostly because I studied CS, had coding as a hobby, and worked as a software engineer all at the same time.

What I finally figured out was this: I never lost the passion, I just did it too much and it all started to seem like work instead of fun.

Just ease up, find a satisfying job. The passion will return, whether it's your job or just a hobby.

Answer 8

If you don't have the "skills to pay the bills" it sounds like it is time for a career change. Management is where developers go to die.

Answer 9

You should try moving into first level management, being the manager of a team of developers. Knowledge of how to build and debug software is an asset there, but your day to day work will involve little coding and a lot more planning, resource allocation, budgeting, and interpersonal skills.

It is easier to make this sort of career move at a big company. The HR department will have training courses available, run internally at really big companies or by an outside trainer for smaller companies. Trying to move into management while working at a startup is much harder: you have to hit the ground running, but to be a manager there are non-obvious things you have to learn. For example, there are a number of legal requirements dealing with non-discrimination and liability which you need to know.

If you're thinking of taking business courses anyway, it sounds like you have an inkling that this sort of work could be a good fit.

Answer 10

i think part of the problem is i have to get a life outside of work (and wife, and family), too. maybe take up a hobby like karaoke.

Answer 11

If you are still interested in coding, ask yourself what field was most interesting for you in the past and try to dig deeper into that field.

Coding itself is just a handcraft. However, getting a deep insight into the technology, the classic problems of that field. The algorithms and how they evolved over time (and why!) can be very intersting.

Read on current and past research. Read about the history of a problem and try out the different solutions. That alone can be a great satisfaction, and sooner or later you'll be come an expert in one field.

Want an example? About 15 years ago I started to wonder how the .ZIP file works and how it can make programs smaller. I started to read about data compression, discovered the RLE algorithm, the LZW algorithm, then I discovered LZ77, LZ78 and the magic of arithmetic compression.

I implemented all of those just to see how they perform and how they work in practice.

Once I was "up to date" with current research the Burrow-Wheeler transformation was featured in Dr. Dobbs Journal and I had new material to chew on. The deeper you dig, the more interesting it becomes.

The irony is that all that digging and learning did not only tought me lots of compression but about algorithmic design, data-structures and coding tricks as well. I became a much better programmer that way. As a side-effect the fun came back as well because I was so eager to try out my own strange compression ideas that hacking down a prototype over night was a small price to pay.

Long story short: Pick a field of your interest, dig into it and try to stick with it for a while. The coding-fun will come back.

Answer 12

Dude, I feel totally the same way. I understand completely how being surrounded by corporate drones and being forced to work on tedious tasks could completely suck away your interest for anything.

What kinds of software would you want to work on? If you didn't have to have a day job, how would you spend your time? Would you still be coding?

Think about it like this: if you used to love creative writing - poetry, stories, etc... - but now you're forced to be a newspaper editor all day long, you might feel like you've lost all interest for writing in general, when in reality you're just too exhausted.

Answer 13

get a side project going that will enable you to do what you love. you'll lose sleep but you might regain your passion.

Answer 14

First you need to (1) take an objective look at why you were let go and how you really feel about coding itself. Did you hate the company? Hate C++ or struggle with it in particular? Did development just bore you silly or honestly, you just didn't do well and struggled with it? If you can honestly figure out what the factors were, then my next advice is to (2) try changing things up.

• Learn Java or .NET
• and also one of the more popular dynamic languages, be it Ruby, Python or one of the hot functional languages like Scala.
• As someone else mentioned, don't burn out by coding for work and for hobby. Do something completely different so your mind can refuel. Fiction writers do this all the time.
• There is plenty of interesting coding happening stateside, believe me. If your choice of company was a disaster last time, pick a different type of company to code for. If start-ups didn't do it for you, pick coding for an IT shop that does interesting work in-house.

I've constantly shaken up my approach over the years, and it's helped keep the industry fresh for me. I'm now twenty-five years in, and I've seen many different facets of the industry.

Good luck!

Answer 15

Don't be afraid to try new languages and new technologies. Bleeding edge C++ code can be interesting (I guess) but requires a large investment in time and frustration. Try a .Net based language like C# and mix in some new technologies like WCF/WPF to build something that has no real value but is fun to build and easy to learn. If you prefer web based, try the new ASP.NET MVC or Ruby for a change in scenery. Even the most trivial application can give you a great sense of accomplishment.

Answer 16

I'd say find some interesting open source projects to work on. Use it to pique your interest in certain specific fields and then become proficient in it.

There's significantly more freedom in working on open source projects, so while you may be stuck in a "drone" job, keep fishing for new offers and expanding your knowledge. It will also give you a great feeling to be part of a community around a project you helped better.

Answer 17

It sounds like you have a bad job, not that you don't like coding. Find someplace new before you become a PHB.

Answer 18

I am in a similar situation. And I don't agree that people change without any reason. So if any guy is saying here that as time passes you change, I would like to disagree. This is not a genre of movies that we stopped liking. This is about passion. I don't have the answer, but def. that is not the answer. The reason is I ( and probably you too ) don't find passion in any work. I do have slight urges but that's it. Previously everything that I would do ( especially programming ) was a matter of life and death for me. I would be dreaming the programs in my sleep. I would love to know the answer, cos though I was very good at programming and am good still, but with fluctuating performance and not considered a formidable.