Hey there! I’m Federico and this is my first blog post on web development (what a lame incipit!).
When I decided to start writing about my journey, after the first five exciting minutes I realized there are already tons of better posts written by senior developers.
Why should I write a blog about web development then? Why should anybody waste time reading my blog? What value can I bring to the developers’ community?
Wait, I’m a newbie! So that’s what I’m going to talk about!
Nobody (as far as I know) has ever documented this journey from the beginning.
This is what I want to write about: my personal growth as a newbie in web development. I’ll tell you about ups and downs, about my pitfalls, the emotions when the first lines of code actually work and maybe, along this path, I’ll be able to share some tips&tricks with you.
Why did I choose to become a web developer?
Right…why? The short answer could be that I’m a nerd and this post would end here. But the truth is a bit more complex than this.
I’m 34 years old and I’ve spent almost ten years working for multinational companies (a consulting firm at first and now a major telecommunication company in Italy). So, why throw myself into this journey and try to become a web developer? Instead, I could have spent this time studying something I could actually use in my daily job or maybe upgrade some of the skills I already have.
1. I’m tired
In 2019 my fiancée and I left everything and travelled for almost a year across South and Central America…no, wait, this could take an entire book.
Rewind.
Truth is that after all these years I’m tired to hear the same bulls..t every single day. I got to that stage of life where I can’t blindly follow company’s rules (orders), pursuing an obscure profit strategy (for somebody else that is never you). The hours I spent working should be mine and mine only.
Photo by kate.sade on Unsplash
I’m not saying that working as a web developer means to be free to follow your dreams, to work only for those companies you like and stuff like that.
I’m not (that) blind. The way to become a web developer is long and hard and even after years of coding you can’t be sure you’ve definitely found the perfect balance between aspiration and money.
What I’m saying is that in the medium-long term, learning coding may give you the chance to set your own goals and choose your own challenges, that’s all.
It’s another tool in your arsenal, maybe the most powerful.
And if you don’t believe me (I wouldn’t), listen to Alex Qin here.
2. I like to create
Perhaps the thing I’ve missed the most has been the chance of being creative. I’ve designed some nice software architecture and company’s process, implemented a bunch of agile transformation projects but that’s it. Gigabytes of powerpoint and e-mail, nothing more.
I personally need to create, to build something, if not with my bare hands, at least with my brain. I want to elaborate and solve real problems, contribute to what I believe is one of the greatest human inventions: the internet.
Photo by RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash
This is what I believe coding is, to create something you can be proud of, something that works and people can interact with, that they enjoy and maybe find useful.
3. I’m a nerd
I had to say that!
Conclusion
In the next post, I’ll share with you some suggestions about what to do (and what not) to start your journey to become a web developer with the right foot. I’ve experimented most of them myself so…
…stay tuned and see you in the next episode!
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