Is the Computer Industry Still a Golden Path? A 14‑Year Insider’s Perspective

01. The Golden Decade of China’s Internet

The author, who entered the tech field in 2008, witnessed a ten‑year boom from roughly 2010 to 2020, during which mobile apps like WeChat, Meituan, and countless lifestyle services rapidly captured users and drove salaries up dramatically, exemplified by a colleague who tripled his income after moving to Shanghai.

02. Comparing to Civil Engineering

Using the civil‑engineering sector as a parallel, the article describes how a friend who entered a top‑tier construction firm in 2014 enjoyed high bonuses and speculative housing‑price gains, only to see the market stall as infrastructure projects plateaued, illustrating a roughly ten‑year cycle similar to that of computing.

03. What Is the State of Computing Now?

Today, interview difficulty has risen sharply; candidates must master thousands of LeetCode problems and a broad stack covering operating systems, networking, messaging queues, distributed systems, databases, and the entire Java ecosystem. Many aspiring engineers gamble on graduate degrees to improve offers, but the once‑explosive mobile‑internet dividend has faded, raising doubts about the sector’s long‑term allure.

04. Where Is the Next Wave?

Despite widespread speculation about “windfalls” like ChatGPT or Xiaomi, the author argues that true opportunities arise from sustained, deep work rather than fleeting hype. The consensus among peers is that computing will likely re‑enter a new golden decade, driven by continued technological advancement.

There is no magical “windfall”; success comes from choosing a path, committing to it, and excelling.

In conclusion, the author encourages readers who are passionate about computing to persist, emphasizing that the field remains valuable, while advising those uncertain to reconsider and preserve space for future talent.