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New rule: you don't get to ask questions like this without dropping your salary https://twitter.com/warrenjday/status/1345396651943481351
Look, if you're not working through IT ticket queues or answering pages or shipping apps for free without any health insurance or monetary support, then you're a huge poser and lack real *passion* for tech
You know who works out of passion and not for money? Teachers.
Also, being *passionate* about something doesn't mean you're good at it! And you can be excellent at something while having other interests and motivations.
Because that's really what this is all about. When a tech person asks about passion, they think the amount of passion equals the amount of competence. And *their* passion makes them more competent than other people.
Except that's not true.
Except that's not true.
Who do you think is more motivated to be competent? Someone who reads all the Hackernews posts and follows all the “right” influencers and has 50 unfinished side projects...
Or someone who needs to be really, really good at Ruby or their family goes hungry?
Or someone who needs to be really, really good at Ruby or their family goes hungry?
If surgeons were *passionate* the way tech bros want everyone to be, they would be serial killers.
I want my surgeon to be studious, aware of new methodologies, engaged in their industry community, and confident in their abilities through practice.
Is that passion? Or is that someone who wants to do a good job, so they get paid well?
Is that passion? Or is that someone who wants to do a good job, so they get paid well?
We expect surgeons to be paid well, and we want them to be paid well, but no one is asking a surgeon if they're “passionate” about their job. We expect they enjoy it (or the money) enough to get really good at it.
Anyway, this is a false dichotomy. You can be passionate about tech and also expect to be paid well for being good at something.
