A blog?
How cliche.
After working in the gaming industry for over 10 years and stagnating, I've spent the past 3 years in aviation research, ramping up on all the technologies. Or, I should say - everything I can get my hands on. There's so much! Too much even. It's exhausting and daunting and ominous. There's no way I'll ever be able to learn everything I want to learn.
And that's ok.
I must've implemented the same pick-a-prize bonus logic and card-ranking routines hundreds of times.
"Why not reuse the code?"
"Isn't DRY a thing?"
"Didn't you guys ever hear of repos?"
"Why are you using C++?"
I don't know. I didn't know. Who had time to learn when you had to get the next project out? You had 16 hours to rip out a full analysis, and even less than that before the next 3 were stacked up in your backlog. That software tool you wanted to develop that would save the company tons of money? There's no budget for that. So just go ahead and put a pin in that idea and get back to work.
So, for three years now, I've been working my ass off with some of the smartest, brightest people I've ever met. There's a saying to the effect of, "If you're the smartest in the room, you're in the wrong room". And man, being the dumbest one in the room sure has it's drawbacks, but it sure has been super humbling.
And also inspiring.
I've been hitting all of the resources. Coursera. Udemy. Skillshare. Stackskills. Stack Overflow. Humble bundle. O'Reilly books. No Starch Press books. Head First books. Medium. Towards Data Science. Dev.to. Hell, I'm even pursuing a Master's degree.
But it won't be enough.
It'll never be enough.
I've created this vision that I need to know specific things. I need to know AWS. Data science. Machine learning. I need Agile certifications. PMI certifications. I need to know all the things. That whole T-shaped skills idea drives me nuts, because by the time I start getting comfortable with one skill, I'm on to the next. I have to be. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. For me, hitting that milestone is not a finish line. It's the checkpoint along the way in a larger, longer race. And if I'm being perfectly honest with myself, it has no real end. I've never quite figured out why I feel like that, but I use this to keep pushing myself forward into new things, rather than settle into one and decide that this is the technology that I am going to be the best at. Someone else can be the best. I'm ok with being pretty good.
I guess what I'm getting at is - there's too much. I'll never learn it all - I can't. And if you feel like that too, then I'm with you. But, that shouldn't stop us from trying. From taking small steps, from learning the basics, and using those basics as building blocks on our way to something great.
So.. why dev.to? Why write a blog? I guess I just feel like there have got to be other devs out there who feel like they can't keep up. Who are struggling with what seems simple to others. Who feel like they don't stack up against the other devs out there. And all I'm trying to say is... you're not alone, and you don't need to stack up against anyone other than yourself. Keep pushing forward, and keep doing you. You got this.
Top comments (1)
This is a great read, Adam. Thanks for writing it.
I think a lot of people don't really understand how HUGE of a field "programming" is. Language theory, semiconductors, CPU opcodes, computer architecture, Assembly, network theory, boolean logic, optimal algorithms, mathematics in multiple bases, LISP, FORTRAN, C, Ada, BASIC... and that only gets you to about the 1970s.
Millions of people have been working and innovating in this field for nearly a century. It is undoubtedly the fastest-growing industry in human history. How could anyone possibly hope to know everything about it?
I think it's important for your sanity to find a niche. I love language design and theory and I really enjoy JVM languages and the idea of a platform (JVM) for their mutual interoperability and development.
I like other parts of programming, and I understand their appeal and applications, but do I want to be a Python master? Not really. Do I want to know every nuance and quirk of JavaScript? Definitely not. I would be content on my deathbed with knowing that I had no idea how DNS really works. It's not something I'm concerned with.
That being said, I still find these things interesting, but in the way I find the Great British Bake-Off interesting. Am I impressed and intrigued? Yes. Do I want to be a professional baker now? No.
Finding your niche and sticking to it is, in my opinion, one of the most critical skills for surviving as a professional in modern society.