Ghosts of Codebase Past, Present, and Future🎄- My Reflections of 2024

Photo by Danielle Suijkerbuijk on Unsplash

While some are rewatching Die Hard this festive season I’ve found myself reflecting on my career. It’s a Scrooge-style journey but instead of Tiny Tim I’m in a world of broken API, passive-aggressive PR comments and endless stand-ups.d

So let’s dive into my software development ghosts, Past, Present and Future and see what they’re teaching me about the world of software development.

Projects Past: Ego-Driven Development

The Ghost of Projects Past made me realize my ego doesn’t help in the world of software development.

I’ve realized that my superiority complex isn’t a flex, but it’s a bug. The Ghost of Codebase Past dragged me through memories of teams disrupted by my unyielding nitpicks and my belief that I was the only competent dev in the room. (Spoiler alert: I wasn’t.)

I’ve been that guy. Complaining about the code style of other developers and failing to give other people in the room space to grow. I’ve been part of a toxic feedback loop and prolonging a “me vs. them” mindset that improved the code quality at the expense of the team. 

The Ghost made it clear: Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t matter if nobody wants to work with you.

Projects Present: The Plateau of Mediocrity

Enter the Ghost of Codebase Present, where I’ve replaced intensity with apathy.

It’s a shame, but I’ve leaned into low effort solutions and avoided rocking the boat (because the boat is already sinking. My productivity mantra became “just survive the sprint”. 

The ghost showed me that mediocrity isn’t neutral; it’s actively corrosive. The team stagnates, morale nosedives, and every small victory feels like a hollow win. Turns out, giving up isn’t saving my sanity; it’s just ensuring a future of regret.

Projects Future: Burnout on the Horizon

The Ghost of Codebase Futures visit was less a short print and more of waterfall disaster.

Picture this: a stressed-out Secret Developer, overworked dev juggling deadlines, PR reviews, and 50 Slack notifications while trying to “stay relevant” in an industry that demands constant reinvention. Without a change in the future, The Secret Developer seems assured to be one of the hardcore programmers killed by their environment. Looking after your physical and mental health is vital to staying in gainful employment.

The ghost was crystal clear: This trajectory ends with me out of the industry, blaming everyone but myself for a career that fizzled out. Without prioritizing well-being and reframing how I approach work, burnout won’t just knock on my door, it’ll move in rent-free.

The Plan

Here’s the twist. I don’t want to end up as that burned-out developer who is barely a shell of themselves. 

Refactoring Productivity 

Solving the problems that matter instead of cycling through “fake busy” tasks to look good.

Optimizing Health

Stepping away from the keyboard to focus on sleep, exercise, and actually sit properly on my chair. It needs to happen.

Conclusion

Will 2024 be the year I embrace my inner Bob Cratchit instead of my outer Ebenezer Scrooge? 

I’d like to think so. 

I do need to remember that change is incremental, and real progress — like a good refactor — takes time.

I just hope that in the next stand-up I can declare “God bless us, everyone!” rather than being that guy who pushes buggy code.