there are 3 stages each programmer must go through. In stage 1 you program to prove to yourself you can. The results not about making something new or original

there are 3 stages each programmer must go through. In stage 1 you program to prove to yourself you can. The results not about making something new or original, but rather making anything at all. In stage 2 you program to prove to others you can. This is the phase when using a library is anathema. Libraries are for people who can't do it themselves (or so you say...) In stage 3 there's no need to prove anything any more. Now you can concentrate on other goals, like economics (or, how to make a program profitable) or perhaps it's about solving some new problem. You can't skip a stage - the process is important - jumping to stage 3 is more like being at stage 0. That said I like programmers in stage 3, they're not trying to prove anything - not trying to compete with their team mates, and more keen to just get the job done, as best it can be done. As others have said before - those that ship, win.