Not having to unlearn things helps a lot. Adults can learn too, and have the context to learn faster if they choose to use it (most don't), but kids don't have to get over all the rules and experience with language that comes with age. Lucky little bastards.
Zenny: I hope things turn around for you. If you actually are able to help shape the program, that should help. Nothing like living in a crazy place by someone else's crazy rules without any chance to change anything.
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Speaking of... in a far less extreme way but frustrating in its own right has been my job with my current company (that is also Laggy's current company and is formerly Andrew's company). They gave me a raise and a promotion and promised the company would change, but there just isn't room there for me to do what I want to do, which is shaping strategy and brand and actually doing things that are different instead of just repeatedly going "hey guys, that's dumb, do it this way" only to be ignored and come back to it three months later where everyone says "hey guys, that was dumb, we should have done it this way, let's do that now" when it's too late.
So I did what any normal person tired of their job but seeing an acceleration in their career overall would do: I took a new job.
I start with Sega (mobile) in July. It's another raise, a new title, lots of nifty perks, but most importantly it's taking my career in the direction I want it to go, i.e., not continuing to work with data everyone else ignores. Plus it's in San Francisco proper so I don't have to live in godawful South Bay anymore, yay!