I have been researching this topic for some time, mostly to prepare for life after 50. For the below, consider holding all other equivalent variables equal for simplicity:
+ Learning how to sell is the most important skill to develop, whether you are selling as part of an organization or for your own gig. Ultimately software is about business results, and selling rewards experience built over time.
+ Learn how to influence: customers, vendors, direct reports. As you get older you will need to increasingly be effective through your relationships with other people.
+ Working for yourself beats working for someone else as you get older, particularly if you can foster multi-year relationships with a range of customers where no individual customer represents more than 30% of your revenue.
+ Building recurring revenue into those contracts so you do not need to always drum up new business helps as you pass from 50 to 60.
+ Learning how to sell is the most important skill to develop, whether you are selling as part of an organization or for your own gig. Ultimately software is about business results, and selling rewards experience built over time.
+ Learn how to influence: customers, vendors, direct reports. As you get older you will need to increasingly be effective through your relationships with other people.
+ Working for yourself beats working for someone else as you get older, particularly if you can foster multi-year relationships with a range of customers where no individual customer represents more than 30% of your revenue.
+ Building recurring revenue into those contracts so you do not need to always drum up new business helps as you pass from 50 to 60.