You could be one of the most talented developers in the room...
but if nobody knows you're in the room, who exactly is going to choose you?
Think about that.
You can learn C#.
You can learn JavaScript.
You can learn Python.
You can learn React, .NET, databases, cloud, AI...
You can collect certificates.
You can build projects.
You can have ten brilliant ideas sitting inside your head.
But if all of that stays hidden...
who knows?
And more importantly:
who can trust that you can actually do it?
Let me show you something.
You are reading this post right now.
You probably didn't know me before you saw it.
You didn't know what I was thinking.
You didn't know that I had this idea.
But I wrote it.
I put it out there.
And now...
you've seen it.
You now know that someone called ##John Kode / ##BlexonDev exists and is thinking about programming, building, learning, and the future of developers.
That is exactly what I mean by putting yourself out there.
This post is the example.
I didn't keep the idea in my head.
I didn't say:
_"I'll post it when I'm better."
"I'll post it when I have more followers."
"I'll post it when I'm an expert."_
I brought it into the lobby.
And you saw it.
###Think about an audition.
There is an arena.
Inside that arena, there are halls.
There are passages.
There are rooms.
There is the compound.
And then there is the main lobby.
The lobby is where people are arriving.
People are meeting.
People are introducing themselves.
People are showing what they can do.
People are being noticed.
Now imagine two programmers.
Both are talented.
Both can build.
Both have good ideas.
Both have spent years learning.
But one stays somewhere inside the building, quietly working on his projects.
The other walks into the lobby.
He starts talking to people.
He shows his projects.
He shares what he's learning.
He contributes to communities.
He puts his work online.
He connects with other developers.
He allows people to discover what he can do.
Which one has given opportunity a chance to find him?
That's the difference I'm talking about.
Programming isn't only about learning programming languages.
At some point, you have to ask:
Can I use what I've learned?
Can I build something?
Can I solve a problem?
Can I turn an idea into a working system?
Can I explain what I built?
Can I show my process?
Can I work with other people?
Can I contribute?
Because your skill needs evidence.
Don't just say:
"I know C#."
Show the C# project.
Don't just say:
"I'm learning web development."
Build the website.
Don't just say:
"I understand Git."
Show the repository.
Don't just say:
"I want to become a software engineer."
Start engineering something.
Let your work speak for you.
And once you have something to show...
put it in the lobby.
GitHub.
LinkedIn.
Dev.to.
Medium.
YouTube.
Facebook.
Your portfolio.
Open-source communities.
Developer communities.
Networking events.
Real conversations.
Real projects.
Real contributions.
These aren't just places to collect followers.
They're places where **your work can be discovered.
But there's another side to this.
Being visible without having anything to show isn't enough either.
You can walk into the lobby and announce:
_"I know C#."
"I know JavaScript."
"I have five certificates."
"I have ten ideas."_
And someone can simply ask:
"Show me."
That's where your projects matter.
Your GitHub matters.
Your portfolio matters.
Your documentation matters.
Your ability to explain what you built matters.
Your ability to solve problems matters.
Your consistency matters.
Because the goal isn't to look like a programmer.
The goal is to become one and have evidence to prove what you can do.
So don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying:
"Stop learning and start posting."
I'm saying:
Learn.
Build.
Break.
Debug.
Document.
Share.
Connect.
Contribute.
And repeat.
Because there is a difference between having potential and giving people an opportunity to discover your potential.
Your talent can be hidden.
Your ideas can be hidden.
Your skills can be hidden.
Your projects can be hidden.
But opportunities cannot interact with what they cannot see.
So, programmer...
Don't spend your entire career waiting inside the building.
Step into the lobby.
Put your work where people can see it.
Let people discover you.
Let your projects introduce you before you even enter the room.
Let your work create conversations.
Let those conversations create connections.
Let those connections create opportunities.
And remember:
You don't have to be the best programmer in the room to enter the lobby.
You just have to be willing to **show up, build something real, and let people see it.
Because maybe...
**the opportunity you're waiting for isn't coming to find you.
Maybe you need to make yourself findable.
So, what are you building?
Don't just tell me.
Show me.
Top comments (0)