I felt the same way about the "Internet of Things". There's no fun in it, when the "things" are built by companies, connected to their servers, and they're just

I felt the same way about the "Internet of Things". There's no fun in it, when the "things" are built by companies, connected to their servers, and they're just products designed and controlled by someone else. But recently, I started discovering how I can build my own "things". That completely changed my view of what's happening in this field. There's a thriving ecosystem of affordable micro-computers, controllers, sensors, a wide range of components; and people of all ages building all kinds of things with what's available in the market. As a sibling comment mentioned, the excitement is similar to the early days of the web, or what the early days of personal computers must have been like. For me the joy comes from exploring the building blocks, technological marvels that are accessible to the public now, and learning how to build what I imagine in my mind. It kind of brings me back full circle, (re)learning C and electronics, controlling hardware directly, like I was doing in my childhood/pre-teens - but with all the advancements made in the last few decades.