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How a single line of code changed my life

Ricardo Funk on August 12, 2017

It was 2012 and my career was going nowhere. That day a co-worker, Otto Lombardo, showed me a single line of code that changed my life for ever, th...
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hassi durrani

its really amazing to read your history ..... <3

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Ricardo Funk

Thank you!

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ombasan profile image
ombasaN

awesomely amazing

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Amrut Prabhu

That was really awesome. I remembered my days, somewhere in 2004 when I had just searched online, how can you code a computer(I was like 15 years old, with dial-up connection). so then I heard of C programming language. Then I searched more and started learning C programming. It was really fascinating for me that I could create something that make the computer do for me. I still remember the printf statement which just prints what I want when I run the program. From that day, it changed my life's course itself. Today I am software developer at TomTom. It was really nice reading your post.

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Ricardo Funk

Thanks Amrut. My only regret is not discovering software development earlier!

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Francis T.

Hi, as you said "would spend all night writing my websites in Notepad" at ~16y.o, with dBase (database) knowledge before (10y.o). I think those were great starting point for software development.
I don't know why a-Delphi-hello-work become "Eureka" ten year later...

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Ricardo Funk

I guess I just didn't know how to move forward from making websites, I did make some money but I just didn't know how to translate that into a career. Also, about dBase, I was kid, different times (Around 1995), so it was more of learning stuff just for fun, but nonetheless, it's a great point you making.

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Amrut Prabhu • Edited

But its better late then never. :)

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Peter

I learned developing software also as a lateral recruit, but I didn't sacrifice so many hours ... for what? If this is the American Dream I don't want it. If refuse a life where work is the only important thing. Developing software is a real cool job and I love it, but I cannot imagine becoming old continuing to develop software my entire life. There is so much more.

Beside of this, I regard programming only a tool, a means to an end.

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Sophat Vathana

You're programmer really awesome, I remembered a single line of HTML changes my life. I found HTML book accidentally in trash bin but I don't have a computer, I went borrow a computer from my friend for one night, I didn't sleep for a night. that is amazing when I saw HTML is rendered in IE it's very interesting and then I start research about programming languages I start to wonder how people create awesome things like this.

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Ricardo Funk

That's an amazing story. I'm pretty sure that moment you saw HTML rendering in IE was magical.

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KukavicaHome

I was begining porograming on vcax8800.120 mb of ram when Bill Gates worked on 64 kb..I did evrything whith vector graphics whith gks..Bill Gates is buisnissman..Young people belive that is new computer technology is somthing revolutionary...nothing reviluthionary in 40 years except javascript...

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sousacanfly

I now understand the epidemic of bad usage of the word "engineer" in the USA. Most countries in Europe don't allow you to call yourself engineer unless you hold an engineer's degree.
Cool story though :)

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Carlos García

Something similar happened to me. When I was a child, I used to play with my cousins The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in an old Nintendo 64. We are from México, so in those times buying videogames was difficult so we replayed that game a lot. My dad was a Network Engineer, he is very passionate about tech so we always have talks abouts networks, engines, and so on. I think that, the combination of those two things: my dad's passion for engineering and my discovery of videogames and computers , made me took the decision of becoming a developer. Now a days I study Computer Science, and I can tell you something: that was the best decision in my life.

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Kiril Peychev

At some point I felt like reading about myself, but at some point I felt I'm going in the wrong direction.
It was first mIRC (not so much the chatting), then I made some servers, networks, I was also writing some html codes in Notepad, then some flash in Dreamweaver, very exciting stuff for me... But then I felt I'm going too much into it, I was sleeping on the keyboard, forgot to speak with people, I felt like I was not living in the outside world... maybe I sound weird, but that's what I felt at that point.
Sometimes I feel sorry that I didn't continued with programming - I had the passion... But I guess it was all because of the surrounding.
Then I got into Photography and it was a great passion. It was like escaping the virtual world and going back to the real one. Now I'm also into Graphic Design - again with computers, but some kind of balancing it all...
I know I may sound stupid, but when I read your story I feel very close to it.
It's a great story after all and congrats on your achievements!
Good luck and have a great inspiration! Cheers

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Ricardo Funk

Hey Kiril, your story sounds very much like mine. I also do love photography but only as a hobbie flickr.com/photos/143904346@N06/

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Somesh Thakur

your story really is great man. simple yet deep.
and that quote by Jobs you put there, it's still swirling in my mind.

"What you call 'life' was created by people no smarter than you..."

So deep and profound. WOW

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oliver oduma

i love your post and i want to be a software developer, can you help me?

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Ricardo Funk

Oliver, find resources online, I learned coding from youtube and just working on a project, something that I needed. Find that side project, that something that you need and start working on it. Go to the library, get books, read technical blogs, take free online courses.

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oliver oduma

Thank you for the advice. I will do as you said

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Ricardo Funk

I just published a follow-up article related to this one:

Welcome to my journey. In the next few paragraphs I will try to pinpoint the precise moments that made me a technology lover, a computer repair technician, a network engineer and a software developer. Basically, the moments in my life that made me who I am today.

Link: dev.to/rfunk82/how-i-became-a-soft...

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Olumide

Inspiring story!!! Looking forward to getting better at development and telling my story too

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Ricardo Funk

Let me know, I would love to read it.

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Olumide

Most definitely!!!

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rana5ohaib

Dont know how i got here, but thank god i did. Amazing to read your story, and i do personally believe that sometimes life bugs you and makes you question your previous decisions and that you should be brave enough to accept the reality and take risks.

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Yrineu Rodrigues

Ricardo, thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us! I would like to one day met you personally.

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Gereltod • Edited

Such cool story!!!!! When I was kid & student, I had a lot of passion like you. I could spend nights. But now, it's different, i lost my way. How can I get passion & motivation again?

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Ricardo Funk

Hey Gereltod, thanks for your message. We all been there, we have our highs and lows. Find whatever it is that you love and push forward, if you feel that you lost your passion make sure is not an outside variable that affected you, like your current job or people around you. What I do to re-gain my passion if I feel like I'm loosing it is to find a project, something that I would love to use and start working on it.

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judexco • Edited

correct!! your response is fantastic

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reggietheroman

Great read man. So glad it worked out for you!

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Ricardo Funk

Everyday you have to work at it, it's an endless fight (this thing called life).

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Ruthran

your story inspired me , I liked your move what you have made to become a creator not a worker . My goal is also to become a iOS Developer. I need more tips and guidance .

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Ricardo Funk

We all learn in different ways, what work for me is trying to find a project, something that I actually needed and everyday work on it. Find an app that you need and start coding!

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SaidBH

Thank you Ricardo!

What a touching story!

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Nick Rameau

Pretty cool story!

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Juan José Molina

Ojalá todos consigamos un trabajo que nos apasione tanto! Condenado al éxito :)

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judexco • Edited

wow...ur story is so inspiring and motivating...i'm challenged..thanks alot

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Eproftech

wow this is amazing and encouraging. I jux started development, it hasn't been easy but i know i will get there. Thanks for the motivation.

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Ricardo Funk

Keep fighting!

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Arup Ratan Sarker

Excellent, inspiring for me.

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TheEnemy

DAMN good story.. i enjoyed reading it

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Sergii Ozinkovskyi

This story is very motivating!

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Haris Khan

I really like to read story like this and that's what drive my energy toward Programming ...

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Théristes Gomes

It is really amazing! I'm so glad to read your history, but I got a question, that actually it is an issue that I'd been stuck into. What it if you'd become an expert Delphi developer? training professionals, always getting new projects to do, been requested all the time, and you know how to develop in other languages too but not so far as you went with Delphi, and at the same time watching Delphi getting updated day by day, but getting far away from the others languages, I mean the massive development,
and watching all your friends getting into other languages like C#, Java and etc, because they are popular so.
what do you'd do? I mean, cuz you can be creative with Delphi, but also you fell alone as long you go at GitHub, StackOverflow and etc. What do you'd do?

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Ameya Pai

Really inspiring! Be crazy in one thing and you will achieve it for sure!

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Miguel Ángel Useche

I liked your story :) pretty cool!

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Haufila Johannes f.s

wow that is so interesting. Your words really motivated me and i really want to follow your footsteps

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Svinch

It was really usefull blog for me becausei I am very beginner in front and developer so this topic is really motivated me, Thank you!

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Muisis Douglas

It's impressing, amazing and a challenge to me, i have always dreamt of being different and doing something that others can not do, really am inspired of your success story

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James Adams

Thanks for an exciting read, Ricardo!

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Salli Figler

What a great story! Your determination and passion is being rewarded! There will be something great next for you.

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Eduard Budacu

Great story. It reminded me about my start with computers. I love to build things, teach and make things happen in the software industry. Good luck!

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Oleg Lozynskyi

u make my day)
wish you good luck and inspiration for your coding)

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Arden de Raaij

That was an awesome ride! What a good story, this!

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Daisuke Sato

So nice :)

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yubaraj poudel

Love to read this and best wishes for future.

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Abdul Mohymen

Your history made me "Nostalgic". In 1994/95 same things happened to me :) Simple but great writing Ricardo :)

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Joana Chavez

This is so inspiring, and never regret when you found out your talent, things happen at the perfect timing: your timing. And also it's never too late to learn anything you want to do! Good luck!

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Mac Siri

This is a cool and motivating origin story!

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Leandro

Nice Ricardo.
The creation process in software development is amazing.
Greetings from Argentina.

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TerranceK

Great, inspiring read

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J. Era

You have just explained my life ... lolz

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Siddharth Garg • Edited

Hey, when you said the following lines: "See, there is a secret, are you ready? Anyone can do it!", did you really mean it?
I felt so happy reading it.

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Ricardo Funk

Yes! I give you my word that I really meant it. I'm always trying new things, I know it's hard, I know you feel down sometimes and want to quit, I know it seems the world is against you when you are trying to accomplish something, but if you keep fighting, at the end it's all worth it.

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Siddharth Garg

Wow! Thanks a lot for your motivational words!

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manish bhandari

Wow man..just wow.

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Mezbah Alam

really inspiring <3

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Ricardo Funk

Thank you!

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Guido Vizoso

Great story! It's good to read content from people who love what they do. Saludos desde Buenos Aires!

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Manuel Reyes

I wonder what'd you recommend me for improving my developer skills. I'm just knew at all of this. What kind of practices do you recommend or what else did help you that isn't shared in dev blogs.

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Al Amin

Really motivated history of you.

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Mohamed Tawane

Just enough to me the phrase saying "When you enjoy what you do, you don’t look at the clock and think "I want to go home'".

I am really interesting in such kind

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Felipe Blini

Amazing inspiration history, congrats for your history, it motivated me to keep following my goals, thank you. Cheers from Brazil :)

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André Ossio Marín

Gracias por compartir con nosotros!!! :)

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Michael Munier

Great article and uplifting for someone who is just starting out his development career.

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GathuaKiragu

Nice piece B-)

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Husam Naser ⵃⵓⵙⴰⵎ

This story is all I needed today, hopefully I will reference it as the moment my life changed.
Genuinely, thank you <3

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Adam Radivojevic

Thank you for sharing this story

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brownfish

Great stuff

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SilverSprings

You got me with that DELPHI line :D

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milanxy

Amazing story indeed...

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Angelot St-Vil

like it

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Hammad Rashid

But can Ricardo Funk? (i think he can)