​I previously worked at a credit union where software developer salaries were way under market ($50k–$60k), prompting me to leave and triple my income. ​I later discovered that the chief of technology hired a former developer and close friend as a remote, part-time contractor at a triple-digit hourly rate. This individual maintains a separate full-time job and works completely flexible hours, 20-40 hours. ​This feels like blatant cronyism. Is there any recourse?

Is anyone else nervous about getting pushed out of tech as you age? I love software engineering and can’t imagine doing anything else, but I worry the industry won't love me back in ten or fifteen years. Is this a realistic fear, or is it just standard mid-career anxiety?

How are your daily standups run? Yeah, some people throw in blockers here and there but it’s really just people talking about how productive they were the day before by listing their accomplishments. It’s not the time or place for that. I think stand ups should just be revised to “is there anything stopping you from during your work that the entire team needs to know”?

In my ten years as a software engineer, I’ve discovered a bizarre trend that smooth projects often get less recognition than chaotic ones. It may be due to a perception that it must have been an easy project if it was so smooth. On the other hand, projects with multiple day follows, dramatic reverts, etc get a ton more visibility. Have others seen this on their organization?

Ageism sucks. And I see older folks constantly subjected to it. But let's be clear, ageism isn't *just* towards older people. A common occurance is older people trying to pull rank on younger developers, even when the younger devs are clearly more qualified. It seems the more meaningful distinction is not age or years of experience - but whether or not you care about your work, and have continued to refine your taste and explore new ideas. Maybe we need a new metric: "Years of new experience".