Are you a frustrated developer?

A while back, I read a couple posts about people who didn't like to write code and/or would leave programming behind.

For example,

1. Ask HN: Ever lost your love for coding? How did you get it back?
2. Do Dev Careers Really Die at 35?
3. Why I am Getting Out Of Software Development after 10+ Years of Coding.

I see these posts and wonder if I'm one of the strange ones who eats, sleeps, and dreams about coding (don't laugh, it happened last night and I solved a problem before my eyes opened).

Post 1 provides a lot of good advice from the community for those who lost their passion for coding.

Post 2 is basing their analysis by comparing the 2011 and 2021 Stack Overflow Developer Results. Where did the developers go in 10 years? Did they move on to architect positions and stop coding altogether?

Post 3 is written by a seasoned developer who is entirely done with coding since it's become more granular, filled with bureaucracy, and has communication barriers. This makes me think they've been in a corporate environment (possible a bad company) for those 10+ years?

The crazy part about this was the amount of posts similar to these three links.

Then I found this post:

I Write Code 100 Hours a Week. Here's Why I Probably Won't Stop.

For every one of these types of posts, I found three others (like above) who didn't like to code anymore.

It takes a different type of person to write code day-in and day-out and not lose that fire inside you.

Fan the Flames

Are you becoming bored with writing code? Does all code have a design pattern and why should I "think differently?"

If you are asking yourself why did you become a developer, here are some tips I offer to get you back into coding (because we've all been through it).

1. Determine Why you Wanted to Write Code

Think back to when you first started your career. Was it the ability to create something from absolutely nothing?

Try to find that spark again...and light it up.

2. Create a side-project you can maintain throughout your career

I know I've said this before, but having a simple side-project during the off-hours of work allows you to experiment, discover, and grow as a developer.

As the technology advances, so should your side-project. Update it as necessary.

3. Learn to learn

Always be learning. While I still feel like I have "imposter syndrome" (yes, even after 30 years of writing code), I'm still learning as much as I can so my skills don't stagnate and I become bored.

4. Embrace the Code Frenzy

When you solve a coding problem or learn a new technique and implement it, you probably feel like Hugh Jackman from Swordfish. Embrace it and enjoy it. This is the equivalent of a writer's high or runner's high.

Once you experience this code frenzy (a conscious stream of thought coupled with euphoria and a clear vision of what the final code will look like while playing Metallica), you want to continue writing code to experience it again (at least I do).

5. Transition to a similar, but non-coding, position

I know a number of developers who moved from a coding position into a manager or DevOps position.

Using your experience as a developer, you could easily manage and understand "developer-speak."

You would know how developers approach and solve problems while offering helpful suggestions.

What if I'm just starting?

If you are just getting into programming, Congratulations! You are in one of the most exciting industries on Earth. All you need is a laptop with WiFi and you can work from anywhere and create anything!

Don't lose that spark of why you wanted to learn how to write code.

Personally, I've always thought writing code was fun and don't know why people hate it.

Even in 2006 (when I wrote that post), there were people who love and hated coding.

Is there something specific you don't like about writing code? Was it a language? Was it too hard? Post your comments below and let's discuss!