Spoiled Devs

Stumbling upon this article reminded me of a conversation I had this very morning. One of its lines perfectly captures a reality I’ve been sensing for a while:

“Engineers got used to those cushy jobs, and became the most spoiled profession out there”

I still remember a time when developers were just another worker on the floor — often underpaid like the rest. After the last bubble, where anyone who could write four lines of code was guaranteed a job with an obscene salary, it feels like we developers have completely lost touch with reality.

In what now feels like another lifetime, before I worked in software development, I had a few real jobs — and frankly, not even the worst day as an engineer compares to an average hard day in any of those.

One concept we should all keep front and center is this: nothing is permanent. Change is the only constant in life. Being aware that your current situation — whether good or bad — won’t be the same in a few months or years helps you live the present more fully. It also prepares you for inevitable change.

There’s not much room in this world for white-glove engineers. But if you're willing to get your hands dirty, you'll likely find work even in the worst of conditions.

Back to that conversation from earlier: we were talking about how the ugly, hard, and frustrating parts are the job. You can't expect everything to come prepped like a Lego set: neatly sorted bags, a step-by-step instruction booklet, and a satisfying click at the end. Our job is to discover requirements, solve problems, and implement solutions — anyone can code (soon even your fridge will), but your job is to do the parts not just anyone can do.

So stop watching those “day in the life of a software engineer at XYZ Big Tech Company” videos where the protagonist does everything except work — and start appreciating every opportunity you get to become a truly valuable professional.

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