Don't be a programmer

As a programming trainer I get questions about programming, which I don’t think are the right questions. Questions like:

“How many languages do I need to learn?”

“What languages do I need to learn to get to company XYZ?”

“What is the difference between A and B? Which makes more money?”

“What are the exact steps I need to take to become Z?”

“What kind of program should I write to build up my resume?”

So why don’t I like these questions? Because it feels like people asking these questions, they are learning how to program just for the sake of learning how to program. But programming is just a tool! Being a programmer for me means you write code to automate things or to make things perform certain actions. For example programming a refrigerator to turn on the light when you open the door.

When you think about it, programming is actually kind of boring. You are just giving a series of instructions to the processor over and over again, until you get it right. I don’t want to speak for all of you, but I think if the pay wasn’t great, I don’t think a lot of you would spent hours and hours every night in front of the computer, trying to learn how to code or to just debug the program.

Sometimes we’re caught up learning languages or coding challenges or fantasizing about working for those big tech companies, that we forget why we want to learn programming in the first place. You want to program, not because you saw the amazing things built using programming. So don’t just learn how to program. Build something that matters, build something that solves the problem.

You are effectively a problem solver, creator, innovator. You’re not a programmer. Programming is just a tool in your arsenal to build something amazing. You can be analytical, creative, empathetic. Programming allows you to express those qualities of yourself. But programming in of itself is nothing special. It’s like a pencil. You can draw a line if you press on a pencil hard enough and move your hand. That’s it!

But with a pencil you can write novels, draw music, beautiful portraits, design skyscrapers or anything. You are limited only by your imagination. You do not learn how to program to get to Google. You learn how to program to build something meaningful, something that helps people with real problems.

Don’t be a programmer. Be a problem solver.

My story as a programmer began when I was 14 years old. My friend already picked some programming skills and tried to make a simple, computer mini-game featuring our classmates. I was tech-savvy, so I jumped in to help him. Our debut become an overnight success. We were walking past school corridors like celebrities. Fame came at a price, as our fans expected us to release a second part. A full-fledged 3D game was what they expected! We started studying game development hard… and the rest is history.

Thanks for reading! 😊 If you enjoyed it, share it with your friends! Sharing is caring.

PS Before you question my authority, please remember I’m a professional teacher. You should always listen to teachers 🙃

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