How so? I just had to setup security groups and subnets to make an implementation I was starting work. Why would I want to wait on the “infrastructure guys” to do it when I could set it up myself in the dev environment test it, create a cloud formation template and if I needed to, run it through the other environments.
Your brain has limited capacity. You didn't learn about the security group and subnet configuration in zero time, and most particularly not cloud formation templates.
Meanwhile, both the infrastructure and application development frameworks are both getting revved and changed out from under you frequently.
One reason I really haven’t attempted to keep up with front end development outside of JavaScript/CSS/HTML is because things change so much. On the backend, things don’t change nearly as often, but you get additional features. Your previous knowledge is not made obsolete.
Part of my perceptions were likely shaped by my previous employer, which was completely schizophrenic, technology-wise. We were never allowed to complete anything, and I think our performance was measured on how quickly we could become 30% proficient with some new technology stack before our work-in-progress would be tossed out and we were redirected to work on something totally unfamiliar. Rinse, repeat.
It really made me yearn for just a year or two of competence and productivity on some set task in between having the rug pulled out from under us.
