I thought I’d tell my own story. Since it could be really edifying. Even more so since nobody is born a successful developer. There is a long road to be traveled before someone becomes a recognized and demanded developer. Let me tell you how this journey began for me…
When I was 7 (SEVEN!) years old I attended an IT Circle because I was very much intrigued by the subject. Then a few days later I came to the end of my computing career as I blew. I didn’t understand a word of it. They were using words I had no idea of what they mean so I haven’t returned to the circle again.
Then three years later a friend of mine got a computer and we played games on it. This reignited my enthusiasm again. On top of that my cousin was attending an IT Circle and I started copying the codes he was making at the circle (these are three liner codes good for drawing circles). I was 11 years old then. We were sitting all excited in front of the computer writing all kinds of codes and eagerly watching what will become of it. True, I understood nothing of what we were doing but just as in some kind of magic suddenly circles were drawn on the screen. And we were totally in awe of ourselves – this is coding we are doing here!
Roused by that I’ve borrowed a book on programing from the neighbor guy. Now, that was really loaded… I’ve basically started programming from that book. I wrote codes like “Do you like Julie?”, “How old are you?”, etc…
Then at the age 12 I won first prize at the developer contest organized for the kids in the surrounding villages!
I was on top of the world!
As a 5th Grader I received my first own computer. I could finally use that to practice. I made my parents buy lots of books. I’ve even gone to IT Summer Camp. Through high school I had regularly gone to the neighboring university and used their more modern computers for coding. This was already quite significant: I’d written the software for one of the university’s graduate student he needed for his degree. That was my first paid job – in 1993!
In August 2000 I started working as a developer.
In 2002 I took part in developing OTP’s loan system. Since I was known to like more complex and tough tasks I had all the complicated and heavy assignments delegated to me. I liked these since they posed a challenge!
The challenge was to UNDERSTAND what’s going on!
Somehow I always wanted to understand things.
Understand what makes them work, how they work, how to do it right, how to make it simple.
In 2006 I became a freelancing programmer. And it went well! It went very well! I had a few principles I owe my success to.
Whenever a client seeked me out with a problem the first thing I did was always to interrogate them very thoroughly.
What exactly is his purpose with the software? Why did he think of just that solution? What problem does he want to solve?
As I’d realize that the only way for me to do the job right and to have him be satisfied with me if I previously assess and understand his needs precisely.
It had reaffirmed me that if I want to be efficient in ANYTHING then I first have to gain UNDERSTANDING.
In 2008 I was leading my own team of developers. I conveyed the same principle to them. And that’s why we can work successfully to this day. I demand of all my staff to understand in meticulous detail the needs of the client before starting with the job! Don’t try to shove off-the-rack products down the client’s throat but instead provide him with tailored solutions!
Through my nearly 20 years of work-experience in programming I’d seen a lot of brilliantly successful projects and I’d seen plenty of messed up projects.
And whether it’s a small or a big project it always follows the same principle. The same: if you don’t understand it you can not do it. If it’s not understood it will never be complete. Of course there will be a lots of work and meetings and arguments and so on. But if understanding is absent it’s all just a waste of time.
Briefly that’s all.
Regards,
Zoltan