It's probably a mix of side projects and luck that got me to where I am today. The former because I had an interest in running gaming sites and coding games tha

It's probably a mix of side projects and luck that got me to where I am today. The former because I had an interest in running gaming sites and coding games that kept me invested in learning about web development and programming in general, and the latter because I was in the right place at the right time to get a job in the field. Seriously, I received the phone call while on the train back from another interview, and somehow got invited into the office very shortly afterwards. Every role since then has involved some sort of amusing story or another in regards to interview timing, people looking for staff at the right time, connections, etc. But I'd say aside from the obvious luck component, a certain degree of interest in the projects I chose helped the most, since it's very difficult to stay invested in a project when you don't care much about what you're making and you're coming up agaist hurdles you didn't expect.