What went wrong, besides bad luck? I was good enough at what I did that the perception formed that I'm not a real Finance person. So, instead of being used in roles with longevity, where writing code was an adjunct to domain expertise, I became The Tech Guy: a'hired gun', used exclusively to build tools for the real Finance pros to use in perpetuity.
Reading these comments is upsetting because they suggest that in 2020, someone w/ my background should be able to support themselves. To those who understand the power of databases and automation, the inanity of using Excel to do almost everything except wash your dishes is painfully obvious. Trust me: there's a better way.
Many technical people -- W/OUT a business background -- are prepared to do whatever is necessary to improve their understanding of The Business Side. Why is it that asking finance types to write code is akin to asking them to perform brain surgery? Perhaps grasping math and accounting principles doesn't imply creativity, or competency w/ language and logic? I've worked with people who can do all of these things. In 20 years, those who can't may struggle to find work. Somehow, in spite of my background, I ended up in the same boat.
Sorry to sound bitter, but people with skills who can't find work are sometimes more miserable than those without any skills, who have resigned themselves to a life of earning minimum wage. I miss the good old days, when I could flush money down the toilet for sport.