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# Get old, go slow, write code!

Why do developers abandon the codebase by age 28? Stop treating your career like a sprint, reject premature promotions, and discover the power of slow, quality-first engineering.

- **Speakers:** Tobias Modig
- **Event:** WeAreDevelopers LIVE
- **Published:** February 1, 2022
- **Duration:** 50:16
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/343-get-old-go-slow-write-code

## Summary

The software development industry actively suffers from a dual obsession with youthful speed and premature career transitions. With the average developer age sitting at just 28 and an expected career lifespan of only eight years, the industry consistently throws valuable engineering competence to the scrapyard. This high-turnover culture is driven by burnout, arbitrary deadlines, and the notorious Peter Principle—where senior engineers are pushed out of their coding passions into management roles they may neither enjoy nor excel at, simply because it is viewed as the only path for upward mobility.

To reverse this trend, engineering organizations and individual developers must reframe their approach to aging and speed. Rather than treating workflow cycles like Usain Bolt's 100-meter dashes, teams need to adopt the mindset of an endurance runner, recognizing that true agility requires a continuous, sustainable pace. Going fast without control creates massive technical debt. As software architecture experts like Martin Fowler note, internal quality is what ultimately lowers the cost of future change; poor quality code significantly slows developers down within mere weeks, often forcing the costly and repetitive failure cycle of the "big rewrite."

Slowing down is not about reducing output, but about taking deliberate time to practice, plan, and refactor. Embracing a slower, quality-first ethos means incorporating code katas, brown bag lunches, and strict adherence to the Boy Scout rule into daily operations. It empowers developers to push back against arbitrary guesstimated deadlines and the exhausting fear of missing out (FOMO) on newly hyped frameworks. Ultimately, organizations must reward ongoing technical mastery over managerial promotion, and engineers should view their accumulated experience as an asset, realizing they are "not actually growing old, you are growing up."

**Keywords:** developer career longevity, software technical debt, peter principle, sustainable agile pace, code refactoring practices, boy scout rule, developer burnout prevention, software internal quality, engineering career progression, agile sprint sustainability, continuous competence improvement, software deadline management, technology fomo, engineering talent retention, extreme programming

## Chapters

1. **Challenges of aging in the software development industry** (00:02) — The constant evolution of programming technologies creates intimidating hurdles for older developers struggling to maintain professional relevance.
1. **Comparing software developer demographics with other traditional professions** (08:27) — Statistical data reveals that software engineering averages an unusually young workforce when compared to teaching and medicine.
1. **Developer career longevity and common reasons for quitting** (13:22) — High attrition rates in the technology sector often stem from eventual burnout, loss of programming passion, or involuntary shifts into management.
1. **Navigating career progression without falling into management traps** (19:30) — The Peter Principle illustrates how highly competent software engineers are often promoted into administrative roles where they initially struggle.
1. **Redefining software development speed to embrace a sustainable pace** (24:55) — Viewing software engineering as a continuous marathon instead of short developmental bursts prevents widespread team burnout.
1. **Impact of arbitrary deadlines and lean methodologies on code** (27:38) — Arbitrary timelines and intense pressure for initial market delivery consistently degrade the long-term maintainability of enterprise code.
1. **Prioritizing internal code quality to prevent complete systemic rewrites** (31:45) — Investing engineering effort early to construct well-designed software avoids the expensive trap of compounded technical debt.
1. **Applying targeted practices to reduce waste and technical debt** (38:48) — Structuring dedicated time for collaborative code katas, extensive planning, and continuous refactoring fundamentally improves project health.
1. **Overcoming the fear of missing out on new frameworks** (43:00) — Measuring bug reduction helps justify slower development cycles to management while mitigating developer stress over constant tool updates.

## Related Moments

- [Balancing development speed with long-term software sustainability](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2097-ai-code-then-vs-now-from-complex-rubbish-to-co-piloting-in-12-months) (from "AI Code then vs now: From Complex rubbish to co-piloting in 12 months")
- [Preventing developer burnout by avoiding toxic productivity trends](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1308-data-science-ml-ai-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-at-ndt-global-dr-katja-traumner) (from "Data Science, ML & AI in the Oil and Gas Industry at NDT Global - Dr. Katja Träumner")
- [The lifecycle and progression of a developer career](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1280-navigating-the-future-of-junior-developers-in-tech) (from "Navigating the Future of Junior Developers in Tech")
- [Overcoming the human challenges of software maintenance](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/917-coffee-with-developers-robby-russell) (from "Coffee with Developers - Robby Russell")
- [Escaping the competence trap in software engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2108-why-your-best-mediors-never-become-seniors-and-how-to-fix-it) (from "Why Your Best Mediors Never Become Seniors (And How to Fix It)")
- [Current state of software development lifecycles](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1426-great-devex-and-regulatory-compliance-possible) (from "Great DevEx and Regulatory Compliance - Possible?")

## Related Articles

- [Get Old, go Slow, Write Code!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/81-get-old-go-slow-write-code)
- [The Importance of "Not Done"](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/529-the-importance-of-not-done)
- [Ignore the Hype: How to Avoid Being Deceived by Technological Trends](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/528-ignore-the-hype-how-to-avoid-being-deceived-by-technological-trends)
- [What is Software Engineering in the Age of AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/640-what-is-software-engineering-in-the-age-of-ai)

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