To me it's a mix of passion and reality. I am passionate about programming, even the parts you don't enjoy like rearchitecting and refactoring, those mean "app

To me it's a mix of passion and reality. I am passionate about programming, even the parts you don't enjoy like rearchitecting and refactoring, those mean "applying knowledge to solve a problem" which I really enjoy. I detest the bureaucracy around these (teams, requirements, deadlines, etc.), but those come as either life requirements (a company must make money in a reasonable manner), or the current status quo of your entire project and its teams. The latter at least can be resolved by leaving your company.