I'm 29 and semi-technical. Hi :D Also, you're not fucked :D
I like that people encourage you to keep searching while nudging you technically and entrepreneurially. I think you get 3 things out of that:
1. Finding your passion, or at least talent, is hugely helpful. At 25 I went to grad school, found out I'm good at statistics, and that led me into a satisfying career in analytics. School may not be for you, but what's another way for you to discover hidden talents? MOOCs? Volunteering? Being a very chatty barista? Can you do something unconventional (a "hack") to rapidly examine your own talents? Have you taken a Myers-Briggs or Strong Interest Inventory exam?
Another plus: finding talent means you can start a business that solves a significant market pain, as opposed to uploading filtered photos to Facebook or putting a confessional into a mobile app.
2. Building more technical skill never hurts, even if (like me) you won't reach the level of a CS major. For me it was a waste of time to apply to Valley analytics jobs that needed a CS major (for big data storage) and not an analyst (for analytical rigor). Still, the things I taught myself while prototyping have helped in unpredicted ways in my last two jobs. For example, I brought performance expertise to my existing frontend job just by getting them up and going with compiled assets and page caching - things that Rails peeps take for granted but a Wordpress shop wouldn't bother with. I would humbly recommend accepting that you won't be applying to HN Hiring jobs for engineers (remember competitive advantage from your IR econ classes?) but still knowing that you can boost a career with more technical knowledge.
3. I strongly agree with the advice in other comments that you don't have to build a consumer or enterprise app to be successful. Did working at the Apple Store make you happy? Do it again. There are plenty of business-y positions that do bridge disciplines, like the oft-suggested PM jobs, sales / account management, and support. The price you pay is being in the world of business. In my experience, the quality of those experiences varies more with the company than it does on the work. Boring-ass Excel number crunching in the games industry was amazing when compared to hundred-million-dollar analytics for a megacorp. I abhor phone sales, but you bet I'll do it if it's for my hypothetical family business.
Lastly, don't let HN get to you. This place is the water cooler for hackers, engineers, programmers, etc. While this place is a great learning resource, it's not your water cooler. Yours is elsewhere, and that's OK.
> Lastly, don't let HN get to you. This place is the water cooler for hackers, engineers, programmers, etc. While this place is a great learning resource, it's not your water cooler. Yours is elsewhere, and that's OK.
I'm in the same place as the OP and the thing is - I need the chatter and virtual water cooler, to make up for working alone in isolation. Is there another forum/site geared for PM's and these mixed-skill people? Be great if anyone knows of one as HN is getting to me :)
I like that people encourage you to keep searching while nudging you technically and entrepreneurially. I think you get 3 things out of that:
1. Finding your passion, or at least talent, is hugely helpful. At 25 I went to grad school, found out I'm good at statistics, and that led me into a satisfying career in analytics. School may not be for you, but what's another way for you to discover hidden talents? MOOCs? Volunteering? Being a very chatty barista? Can you do something unconventional (a "hack") to rapidly examine your own talents? Have you taken a Myers-Briggs or Strong Interest Inventory exam?
Another plus: finding talent means you can start a business that solves a significant market pain, as opposed to uploading filtered photos to Facebook or putting a confessional into a mobile app.
2. Building more technical skill never hurts, even if (like me) you won't reach the level of a CS major. For me it was a waste of time to apply to Valley analytics jobs that needed a CS major (for big data storage) and not an analyst (for analytical rigor). Still, the things I taught myself while prototyping have helped in unpredicted ways in my last two jobs. For example, I brought performance expertise to my existing frontend job just by getting them up and going with compiled assets and page caching - things that Rails peeps take for granted but a Wordpress shop wouldn't bother with. I would humbly recommend accepting that you won't be applying to HN Hiring jobs for engineers (remember competitive advantage from your IR econ classes?) but still knowing that you can boost a career with more technical knowledge.
3. I strongly agree with the advice in other comments that you don't have to build a consumer or enterprise app to be successful. Did working at the Apple Store make you happy? Do it again. There are plenty of business-y positions that do bridge disciplines, like the oft-suggested PM jobs, sales / account management, and support. The price you pay is being in the world of business. In my experience, the quality of those experiences varies more with the company than it does on the work. Boring-ass Excel number crunching in the games industry was amazing when compared to hundred-million-dollar analytics for a megacorp. I abhor phone sales, but you bet I'll do it if it's for my hypothetical family business.
Lastly, don't let HN get to you. This place is the water cooler for hackers, engineers, programmers, etc. While this place is a great learning resource, it's not your water cooler. Yours is elsewhere, and that's OK.