...he's spent a lot of time sorting through the thoughts that pass through his mind and working to decide which ideas make sense and which he can safely let go of. This has lead him down a more spiritual path of understanding outside of any organized religion. As such, he's curious and interested in not only his potential as a human, he enjoys the conversation which naturally leads to him being willing to apply the hard work he's done to the service of helping others if they're struggling or stuck.
This really resonated with me. My path has led me from coding to management, and the part I find most fulfilling is helping those I manage. That can take many forms. How to get un-stuck in a technical problem; how to progress a career; how to work better with teammates; how to manage work.
I also enjoy helping kids figure out life stuff and technical stuff via gaming and our small community at Minecraft U.
I've been wondering lately where this path leads. I have always had technical skills to fall back on, even when I was pursuing other things. It's been long enough now that I would have to essentially start over if I wanted to move back to the "individual contributor" role. I still really enjoy making things work with code, and I also enjoy designing computer interfaces for humans. But I most enjoy working with others to achieve these ends. Supporting them in their efforts, seeing them rewarded for them.
And then at around what age did you manage more than you did technical?