[Ep. 50] AI Makes Me a Better Software Developer w/ Melanie Wong

We've heard some fascinating origin stories, but never a clarinet repair business owner turned software engineer. Melanie loved her work, but like many small businesses, one down side was the brutal hours. Every hour she spent at her repair bench was directly tied to her income. Time off? Practically impossible. That is, until life forced her to pivot. Through a series of unforeseen events, Melanie transformed her career into that of a full-stack software engineer—and she couldn’t be happier! One of her biggest surprises? Discovering the magic of PTO. Join us as Melanie shares her money and career journey. You'll hear her take on why AI won’t replace developers, the value of soft skills in senior leadership, and how she captured luck to unlock new opportunities. 02:28 Healthcare tech has low bar? 04:15 I didn't make it as a classical musician 09:49 How my clarinet repair business helped me become a developer 11:34 Stress from running your own business 14:03 Family tragedy 17:17 Pivoting into tech 22:33 Recommend bootcamp to become a software engineer? 26:35 AI as a productivity tool for developers 28:33 What would you do differently?