Having spent the last 15 years as a developer, I'm now working toward a career as an opera singer (I'm a tenor).

Admittedly I find it difficult to identify many similarities between opera and software development. People often make a connection between music and mathematics, but for me the non-mathematic aspects of opera are what I find most attractive. The sheer thrill of dramatic expression through controlled screaming is intoxicating. And instead of my work living unseen in the dark recesses of a multi-tier architecture, I'm put, quite literally, center stage and in the spotlight, with immediate feedback (applause or boos) and recognition.