25 years in software is like 100 years in most industries. The tech landscape completely transforms every 5 years. A developer who's survived that long has seen things. And thankfully, they're sharing the wisdom. ๐Ÿ“š

The retrospective covers the full arc: early web development, the dot-com boom and bust, mobile's rise, cloud computing, and now AI. Patterns emerge that young developers should internalize.

Key lessons:

  • ๐Ÿ“‰ Hype cycles are real (AI is the latest)
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Fundamentals outlast frameworks
  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Team dynamics matter more than tech choices
  • ๐Ÿง  Continuous learning isn't optional
  • โš–๏ธ Work-life balance is a skill

The most sobering observation? Most 'revolutionary' technologies fade. Remember Ruby on Rails? Flash? jQuery? They were unstoppable... until they weren't. What matters is problem-solving ability, not framework fluency.

For Gen Z entering tech now: Don't panic about keeping up. It's impossible. Instead, build a solid foundation and learn to adapt. The specific tech changes. The skills don't.