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I got my first paid programming job when I was 18, and I knew that I was way out of my element. So I knuckled down and worked my ass off to try to figure out wh

by icey 15y ago

I got my first paid programming job when I was 18, and I knew that I was way out of my element. So I knuckled down and worked my ass off to try to figure out what I didn't know, and how I could get better. I'd change jobs every so often to see if I could try something bigger. Every time, I knew I was totally out of my league again... So I knuckled down and worked my ass off to figure out how to be better at that. I was certain that I was going to fail miserably once my luck ran out. Eventually I was going to do something so horrifically bad that I'd get laughed out of town and never work again. 15 years after my first programming gig, and now I'm self-employed. I have a few customers that are helping me pay my bills so that I can try something bigger. I'm still pretty sure I'm out of my league, so all I can do is hunker down and hope like hell I'm not incompetent and oblivious. I don't have anything to suggest to you to help make the feeling go away, but I'm afraid you're probably going to be stuck with it for awhile :)

ericd 15y ago
I think all that means is that you're always learning. After 15 years of that, you're probably waaaay better rounded than the guys who stuck with the same job for that same period and feel comfortable that they know everything they need to.
srl 15y ago
You've gone 15 years without ever having the misfortune of being stuck in an environment where all you could do was think about how boring what you're doing is (and, quite possibly, how incompetent those around you are). You've spent 15 years challenging yourself, doing (I presume) interesting things. Ordinarily I'd put some pithy seven-worder here about how lucky you are and how "motivational speakers" probably shit their pants just looking at you, but I honestly can't think of one that's good enough. Sorry, man :)

by icey 15y ago

ericd 15y ago

I think all that means is that you're always learning. After 15 years of that, you're probably waaaay better rounded than the guys who stuck with the same job for that same period and feel comfortable that they know everything they need to.

srl 15y ago

You've gone 15 years without ever having the misfortune of being stuck in an environment where all you could do was think about how boring what you're doing is (and, quite possibly, how incompetent those around you are). You've spent 15 years challenging yourself, doing (I presume) interesting things. Ordinarily I'd put some pithy seven-worder here about how lucky you are and how "motivational speakers" probably shit their pants just looking at you, but I honestly can't think of one that's good enough. Sorry, man :)