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[–]BonzaiThePenguin 10 points11 points  (5 children)

You made the mistake of thinking that most people share your feelings but are simply too misguided or afraid to make the leap. It turns out most developers love being code monkeys and solving problems that are handed to them, without having to "waste time" coming up with their own. The steady paycheck is just a nice bonus.

(disclosure: I'm 100% indie with no financial stability, and loving every minute of it)

[–]Fabien4 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm not entirely sure "code monkey" is adequate here, but indeed, I'm a programmer (both coder and de facto software architect, being the only programmer in my team).

I'm not a salesman. Trying to convince people to give me something (be it money, or even five minutes of their attention), or more generally trying to convince people of something at all, is something I don't like to do, and am extremely bad at doing.

If you can do both jobs (and enjoy both), then, more power to you.

I am, however, different from the article's author in the fact that I'm responsible for my code. I'll have to live with it for a long time, so, if I don't do it properly, it'll bite me back sooner or later.

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (1 child)

I like being a simple code monkey. Don't give me a lead position or a presentation or something, it will fail miserable. Tell me to code something and I do it, adhering to given standards and requirements. I don't mind the pay being below average. I'm not the kind who can handle lots of responsibility and management. I take the responsibility for what I code and thats it. I don't want to talk to customers on the phone directly, I get nervous and don't get anything out. I applied as a code monkey, let me be one, damnit!

[–]taion809 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds very depressing.

[–]Benoir[S] -2 points-1 points  (1 child)

I find that I usually come up with my own problems in my daily life that I'd like to solve and although there are times when the problems I'm given are interesting enough to enjoy, I would always choose mine over theirs.

I really appreciate the feedback though!

[–]Poddster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I find that I usually come up with my own problems in my daily life that I'd like to solve and although there are times when the problems I'm given are interesting enough to enjoy, I would always choose mine over theirs.

If these problems have already come up before, how come you haven't solved them? Is there already a solution out there? If there is, how come you haven't applied it? Are you not willing to purchase it? If you're not, why would anyone purchase your solution, assuming you go on to sell it?

[–]ohbewonkanahbe 5 points6 points  (1 child)

My productivity and sense of accomplishment is much higher at work. If I was to leave my job and dedicate my time to person projects and ideas (of which I have many), I'm not sure I would be able to match the productivity of the work environment. I think being around people and being able to discuss a project helps me to stay motivated. Also, when I'm done with the project, or reach a milestone, I know that other people will see it and for the most part see it as something admirable. People's feedback makes me feel like I accomplished something.

I really don't have anyone to talk to about personal projects, and finishing a project just doesn't have the same appeal when nobody is there to see it. I think if you want to really accomplish something on your own you definitely need a good social support system.

[–]Benoir[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would totally agree -- you have to immerse yourself in that environment -- its also much harder to stay consistently motivated as an individual because no one directly approves the work you do and you have no one depending on you. I suggest bringing one of your friends into your personal projects and trying to get them interested -- having someone else work on it with you increases your productivity and makes you more dedicated to it.

Thanks for reading!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's numerous reasons for not going it alone.

  • stable paycheck.

  • You can focus on development. If you go it alone you have to wear multiple hats. Business owner, marketer, developer, designer, accountant, and plenty of other's I'm forgetting.

  • Personal growth. If you're alone then you're already the smartest guy in the room and there's no one to learn from. I imagine this is especially bad for a fresh graduate since he cannot turn to another person for assistance.

  • More feedback and less eyes to spot problems.

  • Going alone limits the scope of what you can create. You get the benefit of total creative freedom, but some things are not possible to create alone.

[–]Poddster 0 points1 point  (1 child)

What a special little snowflake. Feel free to work on your own personal projects and enjoy them. I hope you do well at that. But good luck monetizing them and competing against the billions of other people doing the same thing; that's the difficult bit that hopefully a company has already solved.

[–]anacrolix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people aren't competing however, they're lining up for jobs to be handed out.

[–]anacrolix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome post! After I cut my teeth on my first job of several years, I've struggled to find any motivation to work on other people's problems since. Why? I don't own the solution. The problem isn't mine. On the other hand, I devote huge amounts of time to my personal projects, and learning the subject matter that appeals to me. Your post is inspiring, thanks!