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Somay
Somay

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Day 70: When Your First Hater Becomes Your Best Motivator

Today started like any typical dev morning - frontend bugs greeting me at 6 AM like unwelcome house guests. You know that feeling when you're staring at broken code, coffee getting cold, wondering if you're just fooling yourself about this whole building thing?

Yeah, that was me this morning.

The Debugging Blues

Frontend bugs are different beasts. They're not just technical problems - they're mood killers. One moment your interface looks perfect, the next it's a Picasso painting of misaligned divs and broken responsive design.

I found myself in that familiar developer spiral:

  • What am I even building?
  • Does any of this matter?
  • Am I just wasting time on something nobody wants?

Classic imposter syndrome mixed with debugging fatigue. Every developer knows this cocktail.

Plot Twist: Enter the Hater

Then my phone buzzed. DM from an account I'd never seen before.

What followed was the most elaborate hate message I've ever received. This person had clearly spent time crafting insults:

  • "Your friends will hate you for what you're doing"
  • Accusations about inappropriate comments (which was hilarious since I barely have time to comment on anything)
  • Various character assassinations
  • The works, basically

The Unexpected Motivation

Here's what hit me: someone cared enough about what I'm building to create a fake account and write paragraphs of hate.

Let that sink in.

In a world where most people are ignored, someone was bothered enough by my existence to invest energy in tearing me down. That's not hate - that's validation in disguise.

The Psychology of Haters

When you're building something that matters, you create ripples. Most people ignore ripples. But some people - the insecure ones, the ones who gave up on their own dreams - those ripples trigger something deep.

Your progress becomes a mirror reflecting their inaction. Your courage highlights their fear. Your building exposes their excuses.

So they lash out.

Gratitude for the Negativity

To my first official hater: thank you.

You transformed a questionable morning into pure clarity. You reminded me that criticism isn't just inevitable - it's necessary. You showed me that I'm moving fast enough to create friction.

And honestly? You gave me the best story to tell.

The Real Lesson

Building in public means accepting that not everyone will cheer you on. Some will actively root against you. And that's perfectly fine.

Because for every hater, there are builders, supporters, and fellow travelers who get it. The noise from one negative voice doesn't drown out the community of people actually trying to create something.

Moving Forward

So here's to more haters. Each one is a milestone, a sign that what you're building is significant enough to threaten someone's comfort zone.

Keep building, keep shipping, keep creating ripples.

The right people will find you through the noise.


Building something? Join our Discord - A campfire for founders, funders, and misfits where ideas get tested, challenged, and sharpened. Drop in to rant, pitch, or find your next co-conspirator: https://discord.gg/BjykX6YuRb

Top comments (13)

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juanperez profile image
Juan Perez prueba

It's a super interesting post.

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

Thank-you bud!

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ben profile image
Ben Halpern

Keep it up!

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

YES BUD!

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extinctsion profile image
Aditya

Great post btw.

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

Thank-you bud <3

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prs-dev profile image
Pratyush Srivastava

That's pure wisdom brother, keep doing what you do, good luck 👍

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

Yes man!

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kozmik_nt3b0 profile image
kozmik01_Ntebo

Thank you. This helps with my own mind and journey too!
Especially the imposter syndrome plus debug fatigue. It really does a blender to ones head and had me stuck when i am not! Damn it all!

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

Just keep on working bud! we have got this

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minoosh profile image
Minoosh

Like your post! Keep improving! :)

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casperday11 profile image
Somay

Thank-you<3

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