
Learning Coding After 40 and Leaving the 9 to 5 Job - Maciej001
https://www.indiehackers.com/@MaciejN/how-to-learn-coding-after-40-and-leave-the-9-to-5-job-1ea19b17e0
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gaoshan
I started learning to code in my mid-30's and am now in my mid-40's working as
a developer. "Leave the 9 to 5 Job" is not accurate. Most people that follow
the path described in the article will still be working regular business hours
(frequently longer than 9 to 5 to be honest) sitting at a desk in an office
setting, only now they will be writing code for a living.

~~~
curiousDog
Coding requires quite a bit of physical effort as well. Have you noticed your
age getting in the way of it? I'm in my late twenties and have been coding
since I was 15. I've developed quite a few chronic issues - both skeletal and
gastrointestinal.

~~~
justboxing
> I've developed quite a few chronic issues - both skeletal and
> gastrointestinal.

Curious, not trolling. What kind of gastrointestinal issues does one develop
from programming / sitting in 1 place? Is it from the cliched "coder diet" \-
pizza and soda, or is it from the physical aspects - sitting and staring at
screen for long hours - and not related to diet, that cause gastrointestinal
issues?

~~~
curiousDog
I think the lack of exercise made things worse. But I developed IBS from the
stress of frequent live-site and odd hours (and of course a bad diet). I've
since moved on to a different team and company but the damage has been done.
I'm on a very strict diet these days.

Also, bad posture over the years has led to cervical stenosis & herniation. I
cannot sit for more than 30mins without developing pain in my shoulder and
neck.

In general, I think being if you're an engineer working on services, it is
hard to maintain a proper schedule and routine. Add to that strict deadlines,
pressure from management, bugs etc and things get worse. It is still a pretty
subjective argument though.

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AndyNemmity
Took a development job mid-30s (this year) after being a senior engineer but
without any coding. It's been very difficult to be essentially a junior, while
everyone's expectations are that you are far higher.

Enjoyable in a lot of respects though, the biggest issues are all around
expectations. I think I'm doing better than I have any right to be doing, but
am far worse than any peer. Dealing with that dance is difficult.

~~~
lawnchair_larry
While there's probably some truth to that, other folks who seem to have the
answers are probably faking it more than you realize. The big difference is
that you're hyper aware of your predicament and more likely to identify gaps
in what you "should" know.

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hartator
I want to see some data about how these bootcamps perform in the job market,
before seeing more ads for bootcamps.

~~~
ben_jones
Does anyone trust the data coming directly from bootcamps? Even if the data
they present is technically accurate it's so easy to cherry pick or game the
numbers that I would never be able to recommend bootcamps to people looking to
make such a drastic transition in their lives.

~~~
altotrees
I am self-taught. Spent at least 2 hours a day learning everyday in my mid
20's. I think it is critical to find an experienced dev or engineer to be a
code mentor and to be disciplined and give yourself realistic challenges and
goals.

Doing it the way I did saved me probably 10-15k and an expensive move. It may
seem like an awesome idea to join a bootcamp, but just remember that you may
be able to create an even better (and cheaper) environment for yourself with a
little dedication and creativity.

An aside: it really scares me how camps tout Backbone and React like they are
the only frameworks you will ever need to know to be employable. It is way
more important to figure out how you learn, so you can keep pace with changes
when they come, because they always do. Just my experiences, and I would
certainly never look down on anyone who did attend a bootcamp. Different
strokes, as they say.

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gaius
A novice programmer who has never programmed professionally themselves
charging £1500 to train slightly-more-novice programmers? This isn't a tech
startup or SaaS - it's a scam.

~~~
Maciej001
I am not sure if you can call my instructors novice: Gerard Sans (Google
Delveloper Expert), Chris Sevilleja (founder of scotch.io), Max Stoiber
(creator of react-boiler plate and styled-components), Nik Graf (Draft.js
plugins and polished) and many others. These guys are top trainers ->
[https://www.codecamps.com/trainers](https://www.codecamps.com/trainers)

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jhack
Leave the 9-to-5 job... for a 9-to-whenever job with no overtime pay.

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RikNieu
This is not the story of someone who became a developer after 40, this is the
story of someone who started a training small business.

Not to suggest its bad or anything, but it's not what the title might imply.

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Scarbutt
By read "Deep Focus" do you mean the "Deep work" book?

~~~
Maciej001
Yes sure, "Deep Work". My bad...

~~~
rabidrat
Your attention to detail does not inspire confidence...

~~~
libertine
Go figure, someone making a mistake.

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jchicity
Coding is a 9-5 job. If you do it independently it's a 24hr. job. Platforms
and "standards" constantly changing. That whole space is fragmented and
"nitchy" you have to hustle to keep up. Especially if you want to be cutting
edge. U can always go work for a large co. but then that's just a 9-5. I guess
this applies to a lot of things, but this can slow down your progress. Good
luck!

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martin1975
Oppenheimer and many on his team were in their 50's when they discovered the
atomic bomb.... so anything's possible. Age is but a number.

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noncoml
If I’ve ever seen a clickbait title, then this is it.

I’ve been coding for 25years. Trust me, learning coding after 40 is not going
to give you financial freedom or chance to build your own business it SaaS it
whatever. The best it can do is give you a 10-6 job, since programmers have
usually more flexible hours.

All these stories from indie hackers are like stories from people who won the
lottery. Yes, there are people who made it, but for each one of them there are
tens, if not hundreds, of thousands who failed miserably.

Or maybe it’s just sour grapes from my side. But that’s how I see it.

~~~
imartin2k
So your recipe for "success" in life is to ignore the inspirational power of
stories from those who beat the odds? What's that good for?

~~~
noncoml
My recipe for survival is staying away from anyone trying to prey of hope and
desperation. That’s what all these bootcamps do.

Learning to code at 40 to leave your 9-5 job is the worst advice one can give
to someone.

~~~
imartin2k
Well, that's not really the author's advice, considering that he writes:

"I wouldn't recommend quitting your job like I did. Especially, if you have an
idea only. Test it first. Most probably, you have a lot of 'hidden' free time
so you can test it while keeping your day job."

If your point is that bootcamps generally are waste of time and money, and you
suspect that the author just wants to promote his bootcamp, then that's a
different thing of course.

