April 7th, 2020
I came across this amazing YouTube video today that is currently going viral.
Worth a watch.
I remember the Web 2.0 days - I was way younger at the time - and I didn't know how to code, but it was such an exciting time.
People were building things just to build them - and building a "cool website" was all the rage.
Years later, there is basically no more novelty in building something cool or fun. Most APIs are limited, and the internet is filled with bad actors and profiteers.
"Building something cool" was the M.O. of Silicon Valley 10 years ago.
Now, building something cool is completely uncool.
What's cool now seems to be "business", profits, and attention.
I don't have a problem with that - it makes sense.
It's like when we went to the moon. We went to the moon because it was fucking cool. But we don't go to the moon anymore - probably because it doesn't make much business sense.
Why did I get into programming and building products? It was because I wanted to build something cool. Of course, the money that is attached to tech companies is great too.
I have this "rush" when I'm building a new thing, coding an exciting feature, or the moment my code "works" - I've always had it since I built my first web app.
It's hard to explain but it's almost a "childlike" feeling - it's similar to the feeling of opening presents on Christmas morning or being in a toy store.
It's a feeling that I chase to some degree.
It makes me think though - if deep down - that's my true passion - maybe I'm not cut out to be a "businessman"? Maybe I'm better as an engineer, a builder, or a tinkerer...
That's a scary thought.
But I don't believe that people are born "some way" - we all have strengths and weaknesses and some of the best CEOs are engineers at heart.
Anyways, going back to that video - the idea is that we should build stuff because we can - even though it is a guarantee it will break and die.
Because it's not about what you build, it's about the ideas you're putting in to the world and the story you tell.
My code is not interesting. It's the words I'm writing right now that are interesting. Without the code, there is no story. Without code, there is no daily blog!
Worth a watch.
I remember the Web 2.0 days - I was way younger at the time - and I didn't know how to code, but it was such an exciting time.
People were building things just to build them - and building a "cool website" was all the rage.
Years later, there is basically no more novelty in building something cool or fun. Most APIs are limited, and the internet is filled with bad actors and profiteers.
"Building something cool" was the M.O. of Silicon Valley 10 years ago.
Now, building something cool is completely uncool.
What's cool now seems to be "business", profits, and attention.
I don't have a problem with that - it makes sense.
It's like when we went to the moon. We went to the moon because it was fucking cool. But we don't go to the moon anymore - probably because it doesn't make much business sense.
Why did I get into programming and building products? It was because I wanted to build something cool. Of course, the money that is attached to tech companies is great too.
I have this "rush" when I'm building a new thing, coding an exciting feature, or the moment my code "works" - I've always had it since I built my first web app.
It's hard to explain but it's almost a "childlike" feeling - it's similar to the feeling of opening presents on Christmas morning or being in a toy store.
It's a feeling that I chase to some degree.
It makes me think though - if deep down - that's my true passion - maybe I'm not cut out to be a "businessman"? Maybe I'm better as an engineer, a builder, or a tinkerer...
That's a scary thought.
But I don't believe that people are born "some way" - we all have strengths and weaknesses and some of the best CEOs are engineers at heart.
Anyways, going back to that video - the idea is that we should build stuff because we can - even though it is a guarantee it will break and die.
Because it's not about what you build, it's about the ideas you're putting in to the world and the story you tell.
My code is not interesting. It's the words I'm writing right now that are interesting. Without the code, there is no story. Without code, there is no daily blog!