I Started Programming When I Was 7. I'm 50 Now, and the Thing I Loved Has Changed
Summary
A veteran developer reflects on starting programming at age seven, now age fifty, and how AI is transforming what it means to build software. The piece argues that AI shifts the craft rather than replaces it, describing a fallow period as the industry and individuals renegotiate purpose, abstraction, and the value of decades of experience. It invites readers to consider how to adapt and find meaning in a landscape where automation handles more of the routine but requires human judgment for the deeper design.