Sparking the Coding Journey
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Software developers enter this profession for a host of different reasons, some good and some bad.
Today I’m asking why I entered this profession and what tempted some of my colleagues to become programmers, developers, and digital creators. Grab your virtual pickaxes; it’s going to be an enlightening dig into this topic.
A Rebel’s Pathway
I’ve seen this a few times. Some developers were not always in such jobs as software developer or (shudder) software engineer. Those who have experienced the real life of call centers and retail, decided to get educated into a better job. This path is less about following instructions and more about rewriting them.
Sure, in my experience, we don’t always get paid to think but that’s not the only outcome for a job. Right? Please tell me I’m right.
The Beacon of Community
This is the new digital age. If you want to create a hate group you only need to hang around on that social media platform for a hot minute and give your opinions.
Others aren’t psychopaths (which is great!) and use the sense of community to create great digital artifacts. Online forums, open-source projects, and hackathons act as beacons, guiding lone wolves into packs where ideas flourish. It’s here that many found their tribe, their purpose, and the encouragement to pursue a craft that seemed daunting at first glance.
They then have a portfolio to present to future employers and go neck-deep into professional software development. I’ve seen such developers use the network that they have built up over the years to help them with software problems at work. What a nice group of people to work with who are able to get things done.
Escape to Creation
Consider the programmer who, disillusioned by a soul-sucking corporate job, found rebirth in writing software that made a difference, one line of code at a time.
They liked changing people’s lives one at a time, in the thousands and millions. Using digital distribution, we have a way to alter the lives of so many people. Through tools like AB testing, we can even make our products incrementally better and see the results of doing so practically immediately.
Who wouldn’t want that instant feedback loop in their work? Who wouldn’t want to get better? Unfortunately, if you’re following this blog, you might know the answer to this — those who work in my current place of employment. Let’s hope the job market gets better soon!
The Secret Developer’s Story
Like many developers, I was first enchanted by the family computer. Perhaps unusually for my age, we had access to a home computer before I can remember meaning machines have always been a part of my life.
It might be unfortunate, but we only really used home computers to play games. Yet the idea of creating my own always stayed with me, perhaps because I was unlikely to ever be able to achieve anything in sports or music (talent issues).
It even led to me applying for a games company as working in the industry was a dream of mine. Like any others though I’ve left the idea of games behind (well, on the PS5) and taken the $$$ in financial services instead.
Conclusion
In these personal journeys, we uncover a common thread — the pursuit of passion, the quest for knowledge, and the sheer joy of creation. Coding isn’t just about instructing a machine; it’s about expressing oneself, solving puzzles that matter, and, sometimes, changing the world.
So, what’s your story? What sparked your coding journey? Share your tale in the comments, and let’s celebrate the diverse paths that lead us to this fascinating world of coding.