Table Of Contents
  1. This is what I wish someone slapped on my desk 10 years ago when I first started writing code.

10 Years of Programming: The 5 Developer Truths No One Told You

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Table Of Contents
  1. This is what I wish someone slapped on my desk 10 years ago when I first started writing code.

This is what I wish someone slapped on my desk 10 years ago when I first started writing code.

This isn’t just another programming post.

It would’ve saved me years of confusion, burnout, and spinning in circles.

No hype. No fluff. Just the stuff I had to learn the hard way — so you don’t have to.

These 5 truths changed the game for me — and they might do the same for you.

1. Interviews Are Rocket Science. Jobs Are Screwing Bolts.

Let’s kill a myth real quick:

Interviewing and doing the actual job are two very different skill sets.

Image source: Internet

When I first started applying for jobs, I thought I had to memorize every corner of JavaScript. Every closure, every prototype trick, every edge case.

I was stressed out of my mind.

Then I got the job. And reality slapped me in the face.

Work is about solving real problems. With the help of Google. And now, with AI like ChatGPT and Claude.

You don’t need to memorize the tool. You need to know how to use it.

That’s the actual game.

AI can help you debug, explain confusing logic, even write scaffolding code. Real pros don’t memorize everything — they just get really good at finding answers fast.

So yeah, study hard for interviews.

But once you land the job? Lean into tools. Focus on getting results. That’s what you’re paid for.

2. Stop Watching. Start Building.

I watched 10 tutorials and still couldn’t build a thing.

It’s like thinking you can swim because you watched 100 videos. Then you jump in the pool and realize… you’re sinking.

You only learn by doing.

Image source: Internet

My breakthrough came when I started building ugly, broken, half-working projects of my own.

They sucked. But they were mine.

And that made all the difference.

3. Perfection Is the Fastest Way to Stay Broke

I once spent an entire day naming a function. Should I call it processData? handleData? transformData?

Guess what the function did? It converted JSON.

That’s it.

Call it convertToJson and move on.

Here’s the truth:

Even senior devs write buggy, ugly code sometimes. They just fix it faster.

Trying to make it perfect the first time is like refusing to play piano unless you can start with Beethoven.

Start with “Twinkle Twinkle.” Get your reps in.

Done is better than perfect.

4. You’ll Never Feel Ready. Do It Anyway.

I’ve heard it a thousand times:

  • “I’m not ready to apply for jobs.”
  • “I’m not ready to freelance.”
  • “I’m not ready to build something.”

Truth bomb:

You’ll never feel ready.

When I got handed my first real project at work, my hands were shaking.

It was 50k lines of legacy code. I wanted to run.

But I didn’t. I stayed. I figured it out. I asked questions. I Googled things. I made mistakes.

And I delivered.

That one project cracked open a new level of confidence I didn’t know I had.

5. Programming = Solving Problems, Not Memorizing Syntax

I once memorized 300+ JavaScript methods.

Ask me how many I used on my first real project.

Basically none.

Image source: Internet

Because when real problems showed up, I had no clue how to solve them.

True programming is:

  • Breaking big problems into small, solvable steps
  • Spotting hidden edge cases before they blow up
  • Debugging like a detective when things go wrong

You don’t get that from flashcards.

You get it from building. From failing. From fixing.

Every time you solve a real problem, you level up.

Stop Wasting Time. Seriously.

Let me hit you with the 5 secrets I wish someone had screamed at me when I first started:

  • Secret #1: Interviews are rocket science. Jobs are screwdriver work.
  • Secret #2: Tutorials won’t save you. Projects will.
  • Secret #3: Perfection is a trap.
  • Secret #4: You’ll never feel “ready.” Start anyway.
  • Secret #5: Clients want working features, not code art.

Now let me ask you something painful:

How much longer are you going to hide in the “learning zone”?

How many more hours will you spend tweaking variable names, polishing code that no one sees, and waiting to feel “ready”?

Final：

“That day” when you’ll be ready?

It’s a myth.

Meanwhile:

  • Someone else is landing a job with messy code
  • Someone else is building confidence by doing, not thinking
  • Someone else is letting go of perfect and solving real problems

You have two options:

Keep “learning” forever…

Or start acting like a real dev today.

My advice: Close this tab and build anything.

Even if it’s just a calculator.

10 years from now, you’ll look back and thank the hell out of yourself.

If this helped you, share it with someone else who’s stuck in tutorial hell. Let’s get more devs building.