Anyone else in their 40s facing assumptions about their skills in interviews? I keep getting asked if I'm "comfortable with modern tools," which feels like a polite way of questioning my age. Is it even appropriate for them to be asking?

Is anyone else nervous about getting pushed out of tech as you age? I love software engineering and can’t imagine doing anything else, but I worry the industry won't love me back in ten or fifteen years. Is this a realistic fear, or is it just standard mid-career anxiety?

I keep blowing past my own estimates, and I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to get more accurate. Every time I think I've scoped something out, the actual work takes way longer than I planned. What's helped you close the gap between what you think something will take and how long it really ends up being?

I'm job searching again due to being laid off after a long tenure. I have 8 YOE and a modern stack, but I never finished my degree. Recruiters are reaching out, but my cold applications get zero traction. I'm seeing that CS degrees are required everywhere now. Is finishing my degree a smart move to help me get past these automated filters, or is it a waste of time at my level?

​I previously worked at a credit union where software developer salaries were way under market ($50k–$60k), prompting me to leave and triple my income. ​I later discovered that the chief of technology hired a former developer and close friend as a remote, part-time contractor at a triple-digit hourly rate. This individual maintains a separate full-time job and works completely flexible hours, 20-40 hours. ​This feels like blatant cronyism. Is there any recourse?