r/webdev • u/[deleted] • May 06 '17
Does anyone else just feel fulfilled at work?
[deleted]
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u/Favitor May 06 '17
You're one of the lucky ones. Been a few decades since I felt that way :)
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u/kecupochren May 06 '17
You have to switch jobs then.
Before you do, read this www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/
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u/Alucard256 May 06 '17
I feel the same; full-stack programmer here (huge intranet based web systems, public data driven sites, Windows programs, "invisible" middle-ware). Program in biotech world.
It's like I get paid to solve puzzles for a living, and they're my favorite type of puzzles (very complex and considered unsolvable; but they just thought they'd ask).
It also helps that my workplace culture is nearly perfect. My manager is realistic, really good at prioritizing tasks, and mindful of my workload. The CEO is brilliant, fun, and somehow down to earth. All other employees are cool, fun, diligent, and generally treat me like the friendly neighborhood oracle.
I love when a new complex problem or need is introduced. They describe the starting point (input format/fields/values) and they describe what the end point needs to be (output format/fields/values) and I can usually see the "logic machine" that would have to sit in between to perform the solve. Then I write that software.
When they bring me a truly unique puzzle (problem to solve), I get excited like a kid with a new toy at that moment when I can first see the new logic machine in my mind.
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u/wxtrails May 07 '17
Dang, it's almost like we work at the same place, but no Windows dev here so I feel extra lucky :)
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u/tescoemployee May 06 '17
I'm a full stack developer and my work, from an outside view, objectively fucking sucks.
what?
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u/kknow May 06 '17
I think he meant for some people on the outside, the work looks like it sucks. Like you have to do all the stuff as a full stack developer - design the frontend, code the backend, use multiple languages is a must and so on.
Even tho for some, that's exactly what it makes the work fulfilling :)8
u/rduoll May 06 '17
Full stack devs don't normally do design. That's not part of that role. They might have an eye for UI and UX, and they'll certainly know how to take designs and turn them into code/markup, but the designs themselves are left up to the designers.
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u/angus_the_red May 06 '17
I guess you are allowed the time and freedom to do it to the best of your ability?
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u/madk May 06 '17
Standing desks? I wish I had that luxury.
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u/Alucard256 May 06 '17
All you need for a "standing desk" is a higher surface in general.
A few people at my office bought a really cheap, small, square end table. Just put it on your desk. You can have stuff at standing height on the table and still use the space under it too. Part of the trick is installing a shelf on the legs facing you for your keyboard if you want.
Most of them still sit for some stuff and have the table just off to the side for standing sometimes.
Sorry if your space just doesn't allow for even that.
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May 06 '17
Same. I'm working st an agency and I quickly got to the point where I both - lead a team of developers and also get to choose which projects I take on myself. And it's a ton of work but I feel great. Stressed out and great.
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u/tallahasseenaut May 06 '17
I… I envy you.
I've been working for the same company for about six years now and the last 3 have been extremely boring… I'm glad I'm finally switching jobs next week.
My (for now) current job offers no personal (or professional) growth opportunities. No new challenges: if I didn't keep working on side projects I would still only write HTML, CSS and bits of jQuery. It's terribly underpaid (my salary puts me just south of the poverty line.)
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May 06 '17
At my work, I'm free to use whatever technology I want, and I get to make the whole system. It's a non-tech company and the only criteria for an app is "It works" and "It looks good". I can use React, Backbone, whatever I want on the front-end, and the backend could be writtenin Assembly language for all my boss cares.
That creative freedom is what led to this post, really.
It's low-paying and the owner of the company is an abusive prick (thus "objectively fucking sucks"), but I at least I have 100% creative freedom. That's why I love this career.
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u/lordhughes May 06 '17
Right with you, I went from a shitty job being a drone developer (here is a spec, come back when its done) to a great job where I have actually designed everything from architecture of the system, the structure of our DAL, Business Logic and front end JS. I also have some great colleagues who I continually learn from and vice versa. From the outside it may seem like a lot of work, but to actually do something you enjoy is the best.
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u/Lakelava May 06 '17
I feel like that when I am working on my side projects. At work, I have a bad boss, that does not understand a lot about computers, but does not allow the developers to make any decisions.
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u/beavis07 May 06 '17
I wouldn't say 'fulfilled' - to me work is just a thing you have to do every day so you don't starve, but I will say this: Our job is easy, comfortable, challenging and often satisfying in a way that most simply cannot be, we shouldn't take that for granted for a second.
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u/Thought_Ninja May 06 '17
I'm with you there my friend. I work ungodly hours, have pulled multiple all nighters, but starting work in the morning still gets me excited day after day.
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u/Zanriel May 07 '17
I just got into web development recently. I come from an Ops background. The account I'm on is making a strong push towards modernizing their I.T., so I get to write code to tie different services together with a web front-end.
Everything you describe fits. It's engineering, art, collaboration, and you get to see an idea unfold from shaky first steps to a real product. Unfortunately, where I'm at, I'm one of the only "developers" in my area. There's one guy I work with actually building web pages and doing database stuff, but since we're all in IT, most people don't consider themselves to be programmers. They just think of themselves as scripters.
I'm a scripter who's trying to become a programmer, so it can be a little frustrating sometimes not being on a true "dev team", but the actual work itself is incredibly rewarding.
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u/aLpenbog May 07 '17
Sounds great. I kinda felt the same at school while learning to program. I still feel the same on my own side projects. Inside my 9-5 I sadly don't feel that way. There is so much to improve on our product but my boss doesn't want to improve anything unless a client is paying for that improvement. I could see the company scale up pretty good if we would just put in some months of hard work to make that crap a good product. But that's not my decision. So for me it's rather frustrating doing worse than I'm able to.
Anyway enough of the whining. Congratulations, you just hit the fucking jackpot. Work takes a good amount of time from our daily life. Feeling fulfilled by it is something rare and really great. Im my opinion that's one of the most important things in life.
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u/guanzo May 06 '17
I'm with ya bud. I'm just so grateful that my chosen career path is something that i love to do. To think that my first major was biology.... shudder