Programming isn't a valiant career, it's inputs and outputs - You ain't no Tom Cruise.
The reality of programming, more so web development is far from what social media might lead you to believe. It's wondering what did that person do in the 30 seconds they saved using single character variables - hopefully taking a double vodka shot to forget the garbage they wrote. Or it's being told top pop on your science hat and turn 6 weeks into 2 weeks by a person you never see, paid far more than you with the management skills of a toddler without a nap - we're not superheroes that are doing anything groundbreaking, we're just building forms and styling boxes in the 10th new way this week.
You. Don't. Need. To. Grind. You really don't. You can code when you want, however much you want, and still be a great developer. If you're trying to join the start-up boujee, then may God have mercy on your soul. Being a solid developer isn't about having the most repos, the most Github stars or Twitter followers, it's about being able to produce good software that solves a business problem. That's it.
You don't even need a passion for it, or endure hours and hours of bullshit articles telling you you're doing something wrong, or how you need to #allwaysbebuilding or that you must have x repos and a portfolio website with the artistry that Michelangelo would be proud of. You just need to Be competent, learn what you need at work, and if you want, pick up something at home if it interests you, if not, do whatever else makes you happy because I doubt your life dream was a JIRA ticket bonanza for the next 40 plus years. While we're here, don't forget the soft skills too, you're essentially the common sense between the delegator and whatever dream they're having right now. Being able to communicate well and turn questions into solutions is as important, if not more important than being able to recite the entire list of array methods in a chosen language and write fizzbuzz that has lines of code smaller than your average VC's line of coke.
Ignore the echo chambers of Tech Twitter and the likes which are comparable to the self-pat on the back recruiter/VC orgy that is LinkedIn (There are some dope recruiters hidden in the fray though!). Code when you can, when you want, and if at all possible, always at work - get paid to learn, don't do it for free because either way you're getting the same paycheck at the end of the month and you might as well get learn as much as you can to make even more ka-ching in the future.
Now, none of this means I don't care, because I do, I don't hate development and I don't hate my job. It's a career that lets me work from home when I can meet some great people and the biggest worry I have is when my expensive ass chair is being delivered. It doesn't mean I don't aspire to grow, I still occasionally pick up learning at home, but it's not what defines me. I define me by other hobbies and you absolutely can too, it's just about balancing life and work and not feeling ashamed about it, or not good enough because I don't doubt for a second there are thousands of people just like me who see development as a means to an end, not a podium stand to finish first on.
I still enjoy my job, but I love myself and my mind even more.
Top comments (3)
Well, you're not wrong. There definitely is the constant pressure that many developers, me included, put on themselves to keep on learning, just for the sake of the future, without having any benefit off of it now. Not everyone wishes to do that, though. Some people, like you, it appears, are happy and content just where they are. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
For sure, there is a constant pressure to do more and keep pushing. I still do learn new things, but I don't put as much pressure on myself as before and allocate less time outside of work for coding than I used to do and it's done wonders!
The real question is: how to be competent? How to be able to create a good software which solve business problems?