DEV Community

Cover image for From Zero to 373 Days: How Daily LeetCode Challenges Transformed My Programming Journey 🔥

From Zero to 373 Days: How Daily LeetCode Challenges Transformed My Programming Journey 🔥

Hadil Ben Abdallah on October 09, 2025

When I first heard people talking about “problem-solving”, I had no idea what it actually meant. It was one of those phrases I kept seeing on Linke...
Collapse
 
ben profile image
Ben Halpern

Congrats

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Ben 😍

Collapse
 
prime_299792 profile image
Anshu Mandal

Congrats on your achievement, and thanks for trying my app and actually testing it! Means alot :)

Thread Thread
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

You're welcome 😅 Your app is really AMAZING 😍 Keep going, and I wish you all the best in the challenge 💙

Collapse
 
mahdijazini profile image
Mahdi Jazini

This is a genuinely huge achievement. Staying consistent for 373 days is no joke, and we all know there are days when you’re not in the mood or just don’t have the energy. Choosing to show up anyway is exactly where growth happens. Your story is motivating and a great reminder that consistency beats intensity. Thanks for sharing the real ups and downs. Truly inspiring.

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much 😍 that means a lot 🙏🏻 Yeah, the real growth happens on those days when you don’t feel like showing up. Consistency really changes everything. 💙

Collapse
 
mahdijazini profile image
Mahdi Jazini

Yeah ... Consistency really changes everything...

Collapse
 
wblondel profile image
William Blondel

Hi! First of all, congratulations on your achievement.

What do you think about AI when it comes to solving these challenges? Using it must be very tempting. Were you using it, and if so, to what extent?

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Hi William, thank you so much! 😍

Honestly, I don’t really recommend using AI for problem-solving, and the good news is, you don’t actually need it. The real value of platforms like LeetCode comes from training your brain to think through problems step by step.

My advice would be to start by trying to solve the problem completely on your own. If you get stuck, check the Hint section, it often nudges you in the right direction. If it’s still unclear, you can explore the Solutions section, where other LeetCoders share their approaches in different languages.

Just make sure not to copy a solution and move on; instead, take time to understand how and why it works.

Collapse
 
dasha_tsion_31379cfb51dd7 profile image
Daria Tsion

This is such an inspiring story 🔥
I really like how you turned consistency into real growth — it’s exactly the mindset that separates good engineers from great ones.
It instantly reminded me of Atomic Habits by James Clear — how small, repeatable actions compound into massive results over time.
As someone who works in QA and automation, I see the same principle every day: small improvements and daily focus lead to long-term excellence. 💪
Thanks for sharing your journey — this was a great reminder that progress is built one step at a time!

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Dasha 😍 I love how you connected it to Atomic Habits, that book had a huge impact on how I see consistency too.
You’re so right, it’s those small daily steps that quietly build real mastery over time

Collapse
 
hanadi profile image
Ben Abdallah Hanadi

This honestly gave me chills. The way you described your journey, from feeling lost to building such a strong daily habit, felt so real and relatable. I love how you turned fear into fuel and kept going even when things got tough.
Thank you for sharing your jouney ❤🔥

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

That means a lot, thank you 💙 I think we all start with that fear, but once we turn it into motivation, everything shifts. Appreciate your kind words 🙏🏻

Collapse
 
shemith_mohanan_6361bb8a2 profile image
shemith mohanan

Loved this one! 💬 The way you described DevRel as the bridge between community and company really stood out. It’s inspiring to see how impactful small, consistent help can be. I’m not in DevRel directly, but building an AI tool has made me appreciate exactly what you wrote — real conversations > flashy events any day. 🙌

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much! 😍 I really love how you put that, real conversations > flashy events is exactly it. DevRel, at its core, is all about those genuine connections and small moments of help that quietly make a big impact.
It’s awesome that you can relate to that through your work in AI 💙

Collapse
 
shemith_mohanan_6361bb8a2 profile image
shemith mohanan

Appreciate your kind words! 🙏 Loved reading your experience — really encouraging and authentic.

Thread Thread
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

💙💙

Collapse
 
nivethithaa_saravanavel_3 profile image
Nivethithaa Saravanavel

Now I feel like i am not the only one. I've also been ignoring the daily challenges because I thought they will be too hard and only for experienced peoples. But I'm going to start trying them here after… so inspiring!

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

I’m so happy to hear that!
You’re definitely not alone 😄 I felt exactly the same way before I started! You got this, just try one, and you’ll be surprised how much you grow 🔥

Collapse
 
aaron_rose_0787cc8b4775a0 profile image
Aaron Rose

congrats hadil. nice one! 💯

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Aaron 😍

Collapse
 
mdohr07 profile image
Miriam

That's really good, you can be really proud of yourself, congrats :)

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Miriam 😍

Collapse
 
khaly_ahmad profile image
Amad Khaly

Congratulations 🎉

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Amad 😍

Collapse
 
aidasaid profile image
Aida Said

This is really impressive 🔥

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much 😍

Collapse
 
sharadcodes profile image
Sharad Raj (He/Him)

Wow! amazing stuff

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much Sharad 😍

Collapse
 
mahdijazini profile image
Mahdi Jazini

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much Mahdi 🙏🏻

Collapse
 
esthernaisimoi profile image
ESTHER NAISIMOI

well done 👏👏

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much Esther 😍

Collapse
 
hanadi profile image
Ben Abdallah Hanadi

👏👏👏👏

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much 😍

Collapse
 
neurolov__ai profile image
Neurolov AI

Congratulation

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much 😍

Collapse
 
kurealnum profile image
Oscar

A 373 day streak is insane. Congrats

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah • Edited

Thank you so much, Oscar 😍

Collapse
 
sjhjane profile image
Ben

Congratulation!!

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Ben 😍

Collapse
 
shricodev profile image
Shrijal Acharya

This is huge. Congrats! 👌

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Shrijal 😍

Collapse
 
frank_alimimian_1a2043cb5 profile image
Frank Alimimian

This is great! Thanks for sharing your story, I am inspired to start my leetcode journey

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Frank 😍 So glad you are inspired to start LeetCode 👏🏻

Collapse
 
stackedbysahal profile image
Sahal

wow

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

😍🔥

Collapse
 
nandish_bs_ac94b1424aeb44 profile image
Nandish BS

Thankyou for your Valuable Experience, Iam also starting from Today.

Collapse
 
hadil profile image
Hadil Ben Abdallah

Thank you so much, Nandish 😍 I'm so glad you're starting today 👏🏻

Collapse
 
laxmivanam profile image
Laxmi Vanam

Great insights. Thank you for sharing! In addition to the above tangible points you've shared, consistency seems to be the key that set you apart.