Closer to 60 than 50, gray hair, white beard(which is why I'm beardless most of the time) been developing since I was 13 starting on TRS-80 Model 1.
Currently a technical manager so I still get to develop 40%-50% of my time, but as a manager I also get to have a broader impact with my experience.
I still program in my free time to maintain my knowledge and learn from/play with. I think we of a more senior vintage can still demonstrate our value by explaining not just how to build complex components but also how to tie these pieces together into a complex system. So many of the junior and mid-level developers I work with can solve a targeted problem definition but fail to see the bigger picture. The value of the greybeards in the room truly is the wisdom and experience of their years, it's important that we use that knowledge to help these newer developers become the next generation of greybeards.
Currently a technical manager so I still get to develop 40%-50% of my time, but as a manager I also get to have a broader impact with my experience.
I still program in my free time to maintain my knowledge and learn from/play with. I think we of a more senior vintage can still demonstrate our value by explaining not just how to build complex components but also how to tie these pieces together into a complex system. So many of the junior and mid-level developers I work with can solve a targeted problem definition but fail to see the bigger picture. The value of the greybeards in the room truly is the wisdom and experience of their years, it's important that we use that knowledge to help these newer developers become the next generation of greybeards.