When “It Runs” Is No Longer Enough

Lately, after reading and understanding many new concepts, I’ve started to look down on every project I built in the past. They now feel simple and shallow. Back then, my only goal was: make the app work just work, nothing more. Today, after reading The Object-Oriented Thought Process, I realized the huge difference even on a theoretical level between an application that merely works and an application that can live and evolve.
I also began to notice that the concepts the author talks about become much clearer when you work on applications with complex business logic or large-scale environments. And this is where the real transformation begins for a programmer:
from being just a “code writer who makes things run”
to becoming a “developer who thinks about code sustainability.”
I remembered a quote from Software Craftsmanship:
“Superficiality in the beginning is a sign that you’re realistic, not arrogant.
Because those who think they understand everything in their first two years probably haven’t tried building a real system yet.”
This moment of understanding is what makes the development journey truly worth it.
Today, I can confidently say that The Object-Oriented Thought Process, with all its concepts, is the literal embodiment of the phrase:
Frameworks change, fundamentals don’t.