Are you a real developer?
Has anyone asked you whether you are a real developer?
Has anyone ever told you in your face that you’re not a real developer?
The important part is not what they think. It’s what you think.
Do you feel like a real developer?
If you don’t, do you let that feeling stop you from becoming more “real”, whatever real may mean to you.
Do you try to get better? Or do you back off?
What you choose determines your path. Choose wisely.
Are you going to learn more and become better? Or give up?
My thoughts on this question
You are a real developer if:
- You can code
- You put something out onto the web
You may not be a very good developer yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re not real.
The ability and attitude are different things.
If you lack the ability, if you don’t know enough CSS or JavaScript, you can learn them.
But if you get defeated mentally because someone else says you’re not real, it will be difficult for you to stay in this field. That’s because nobody knows everything. We’re all frauds. We keep learning.
A frontend developer that doesn’t know backend doesn’t make him any less a developer. Likewise for a backend developer who doesn’t know enough CSS; she’s still a developer too. We’re all real.
If you’re not good enough yet, work on your craft. Learn the fundamentals. Learn CSS; learn JavaScript; learn HTML; learn accessibility; learn UX; learn whatever you need to learn to make what you want.
If you’re already good enough, continue learning, because learning doesn’t end. Build better things. Contribute back to the society in your own way—through building things, through teaching, or other means.
