I no longer build software; I now make furniture out of wood.
The client says: sorry I actually wanted the table legs to be be longer… And curved… And- wait, no, actually I think I’ll tell you more later
Them: “I want one that looks exactly like this one on this website.”
Me: “Sure… but you can just get the one on the website, and it will be cheaper.”
Them: “Yeah, about that…”
What do you mean it’s going to take weeks? Can’t you just use that agile thingy?
A large faction of engineers, especially software-type engineers, have these types of hobbies.
I’m sitting here right beside the heirloom quality (compared to most furniture) coffee table I made in my garage with my nearly complete wood shop.
I make stuff in two ways in my day job. I design something and someone else makes it, or it’s just some idea as software.
Engineers are a type. We’re just wired differently from most other people.
So. Many. DIYer/maker/woodworker/machinist/car mechanic/etc. Youtubers are former engineers, especially software engineers.
Agreed.
I might also argue that those people are all still engineers.
Engineer just means “problem solver”. Everyone gets paid for solving problems.
The real question in my head is how far does this go?
Sometimes the problem is that these burgers need flipping. Protein disk translocation engineers? I’m cool with that.
