> Note that I am only 20 so I don't have that much experience either, and finding a good developer's job seems hard given the competition for all the good startups.
If you don't have a CS degree, then I would pursue it if I were you. I used to be like you (I was 20, now I'm 30 with CS degree), and it's been the best investment I've made.
> After a year at my job it seems like I'm no longer interested in programming - I am no longer excited about new frameworks, etc
Yes. This is because you've hit a ceiling with your learning. In order for you to move forward, you should touch up on basics.
> I don't feel interested in learning those fields (ML looks like magic to me and involves lots of math, which I suck at).
If you played Diablo, you need to learn your pre-requisites before taking these on. Once you have the basic fundamentals, it will come to you.
Right now, you are still too early in your career. I would focus on building a strong foundation (CS degree). Everything else will come to you over time.
Lot of overlap but lot of learning to in broad spectrum of subjects. Maybe he'll be more into low level programming, maybe security. Or maybe once he understands magic behind ML, he'll like it.
To me CS degree was about expanding views. I still sucked at programming after getting MSc.
If you don't have a CS degree, then I would pursue it if I were you. I used to be like you (I was 20, now I'm 30 with CS degree), and it's been the best investment I've made.
> After a year at my job it seems like I'm no longer interested in programming - I am no longer excited about new frameworks, etc
Yes. This is because you've hit a ceiling with your learning. In order for you to move forward, you should touch up on basics.
> I don't feel interested in learning those fields (ML looks like magic to me and involves lots of math, which I suck at).
If you played Diablo, you need to learn your pre-requisites before taking these on. Once you have the basic fundamentals, it will come to you.
Right now, you are still too early in your career. I would focus on building a strong foundation (CS degree). Everything else will come to you over time.