>> And then there's the competition - I early discovered that I could never outperform my competition.
100% this. I'm a bit competitive, but only a bit :). After 20 years of being a dev I realised I didn't want to compete anymore and shortly after that I quit as a dev.
I've now switched more into an analyst role and because I've been a dev i think I know what makes a good analyst because I know what I would have to know to write the code - if it were me. But here's the best part, the mark of a good developer is their attention to detail. And attention to detail is also the mark of a good analyst, but as an analyst you don't have to sacrifice yourself to the detail of tool-chains, stacks and frameworks.
Working on large scale problems as a dev, and doing it right, is slow (with a small number of devs) and chaotic with a large number. But as an analyst I can work at the speed of thought, work on many projects simultaneously, and see the fruits of my ideas take shape as the devs start to deliver them and I shepherd them into existence.
So for now I'm pretty happy, I write code in my spare time for fun and like the OP - I'm back where I need to be.
Typically interface with customers/users/stakeholders, identify and document requirements, and...well, beyond that it varies a lot in different orgs, if its not actually coding, and its involved with the process of developing/maintaining software, there's some organization where someone titled as an "analyst" (usually with a prefix like "business", "system", or something) does it,
In most industries, software analysts are a thing of the past. Scrum has largely replaced them, and project managers, with product owners - the people who have to do both of these jobs for a price of one.
100% this. I'm a bit competitive, but only a bit :). After 20 years of being a dev I realised I didn't want to compete anymore and shortly after that I quit as a dev.
I've now switched more into an analyst role and because I've been a dev i think I know what makes a good analyst because I know what I would have to know to write the code - if it were me. But here's the best part, the mark of a good developer is their attention to detail. And attention to detail is also the mark of a good analyst, but as an analyst you don't have to sacrifice yourself to the detail of tool-chains, stacks and frameworks.
Working on large scale problems as a dev, and doing it right, is slow (with a small number of devs) and chaotic with a large number. But as an analyst I can work at the speed of thought, work on many projects simultaneously, and see the fruits of my ideas take shape as the devs start to deliver them and I shepherd them into existence.
So for now I'm pretty happy, I write code in my spare time for fun and like the OP - I'm back where I need to be.