Extreme Time Value of Money: Late-stage Career Planning

Kent Beck applies the economic concept of time value of money to late-stage career planning, arguing that as developers age, their personal discount rate becomes non-linear and eventually infinite — making long-term equity compensation (4–12 year vesting, delayed liquidity) far less valuable than it is for younger colleagues. He reflects on how mortality, and now a Parkinson's diagnosis, sharpens this calculus: a billion dollars in 30 years is worthless if you won't be alive or healthy enough to enjoy it. He advocates for financial literacy among developers and encourages thinking about how to earn sooner and defer spending, rather than sacrificing present value for speculative future gains.