Where Do You Want to Be in Five Years?

This article over at Artima.com explores why this is a horrible interview question.  My own personal answer in the past has been - doing what I'm doing now - just doing it better, faster, and more intelligently.  As a craftsman, why would I want to do anything else?  Would you ask an architect of residential design if he wanted to design the Freedom Tower?  Would you ask Michelanegelo if he'd rather be managing a horde of painters at the Sistene Chapel? 

Some people aren't meant for management.  If the time comes I ever get into business full-time, I already have my pick of professional management lined up.  I'm good at small-scale management, but long-term day-to-day business operations?  Not my specialty, and learning them will detract from my ability to do the job I'm best at - which is solve customer problems through code. 

So where do I see myself in 5 years?  Doing what I'm doing now, just doing it better.