Ask HN: Web developer and looking for a career change, what are my options?
I felt like that a few years ago. I didnt end up leaving my career, what i did instead was use my skills in a different way. Instead of being a web developer, i became a business consultant. Like you i didnt care about the latest fashion in the space and in general my interest was no longer in programming, however, 60%-80% of my time today is still writing code, but i&#x27;m much happier.<p>What i do now is i work with non-technical businesses as my clients, they come to me with a problem, not a spec. I gather requirements, give them my opinions, tell them how to solve their problems, then deliver solution for it, which 90% of the time is an internal web app.<p>For instance, a current client is a distillery that was using 2 pieces of shitty software, one of which they originally got in the early 2000&#x27;s. The software was running their health and safety requirements for the staff. I wrote an internal web app that replaced a old creaky system that didnt work very well and they&#x27;re absolutely flabbergasted that this problem could even be solved at all. Its an extremely easy problem to solve, but to them, i&#x27;m basically doing magic.<p>They dont care what i code it in, they dont care if i&#x27;m up to date on the latest framework, they dont care how i deliver it as long as i solve their problem and save them money, which is what i focus on. This is infinitely more interesting to me than keeping up to date on the latest tech. Also, as a side note, i&#x27;m now earning about 3 times as much as i used to earn as a contract web developer.<p>Perhaps you could apply your skills in a different manner.