Episode 456: Will I look bad on the job market if I'm a crypto developer and struggling to go from management back to dev work

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:

1. Hey, I am a web developer getting bored of the regular development work. I am interested in finance and the monetary system and due to the overlap of finance and engineering I feel down the Bitcoin rabbit hole and even spiked interest in crypto like Solana and Sui. I am pretty sure most of crypto is a FUD, delulu or straight up scam, yet the technology looks appealing and interesting to learn. So that said, I am still really interested in learning more about crypto and dabbling in the development space of that. Yet, I am hesitant because I fear that this could reflect negatively on me. What do you think? Is a bit of crypto okay or really that bad?

2. Hi Dave and Jamison

   After five years as an engineering manager, I want to return to coding. But I’m facing a few challenges:

   First, I worry about leaving my current team. It feels like I’m abandoning the people I’ve been supporting. Should I make this transition elsewhere to avoid this awkwardness?

   Second, I’m struggling to find time and energy to rebuild my technical skills. After a full day of management work, it’s hard to open the laptop again for coding practice.

   Finally, I’ve been humbled by how rusty my coding skills have become. Tasks that would take a practiced engineer minutes are taking me days, which is frustrating and denting my confidence.

   How have others successfully navigated this pendulum swing back to an IC role without burning bridges or burning out?

   Thanks, a rubber duck