You are good, if you question and revisit your assumptions on a regular basis, because you instinctively know, that there is a simpler and cleaner approach - it

You are good, if you question and revisit your assumptions on a regular basis, because you instinctively know, that there is a simpler and cleaner approach - it is just (with good reason) buried under business matters and deadlines. If some % of changes you make to your code are towards a simplification, I believe you are on the right track. Not so good programmers fix their assumptions (because they need some ground to stand on) and then let a project ossify - these become legacy systems, burden, technical debt, and so on. Another angle: A good programmer will save you from problems you didn't even know you are going to have (and you will probably never noticy it, because she or he will have your back). Yet another take: A good programmer will find a solution to a program which is either perfect or not perfect but so clear, that another person can use it as a basis for a better solution. A good programmer shortens the way to the things you want to achieve, in any way (perfect solution, good solution and clear problem picture, communication, better documentation, explanation, more performance, rethinking, disruption, calm night shifts, and so on). Besides: Programming and development is actually very hard, many brilliant and curious minds haven't searched for another occuption after they started programming.