When are you a developer?
Kevin Hicks

Kevin Hicks @kevinhickssw

About: Software Architect | Indie Hacker | Sharing about building software 💻, freelancing 💼 and #buildinpublic 🔧 | want to give back to #devcommunity

Location:
Ephrata, PA
Joined:
Sep 7, 2020

When are you a developer?

Publish Date: Dec 6 '21
10 4

Once you write any code to solve a problem

The answer really is that simple.

It doesn't matter what programming language you used. Or if you wrote code for mobile phones, a website, or a desktop application.

Even if you wrote the tiniest amount of code, as long as you solved something with code, you are a developer. Any experienced developer knows we spend way more time thinking about how to solve problems than actually writing code.

You don't need to solve hundreds of problems to call yourself a developer either. The first time you write code, you are a developer. Sure, you are a beginner developer, but you aren't any less a developer than anyone else.

Whether you wrote code for yourself or were paid also doesn't matter.

Ignore the trolls that say you aren't a developer if you didn't use X language or work on Y platform. These people are insecure and trying to validate that their work is better than everyone else's. They forget what makes someone a developer.

If you wrote code to solve a problem, go ahead and call yourself a developer.

Comments 4 total

  • Jon Randy 🎖️
    Jon Randy 🎖️Dec 7, 2021

    I disagree. You don't even need to solve a problem

    • Kevin Hicks
      Kevin HicksDec 8, 2021

      True, but all code solves some type of problem. It doesn't always have to be some business or other complicated problem. The problem the code could be solving is providing entertainment, learning how to do something in code, etc.. In that sense both statements are true.

      • Jon Randy 🎖️
        Jon Randy 🎖️Dec 8, 2021

        With that expanded definition of 'problem' - indeed it does :)

  • Tyler Smith
    Tyler SmithDec 9, 2021

    I'm into it.

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