I think some people take for granted how everyone else got to how they are today, but I tend to be curious. Everything happens for a reason or some chain of events, no matter who you are.

Everyone has a true story to tell.

I like to ask people for it. It might be considered a little rude, to pry into someone’s history so abruptly, but oh well, I’m considerate to give people their space otherwise.

Some might not think much of their story, but I think that everyone is inevitably pushed to have something meaningful or amusing in their history.

Here are a few stories that I’ve heard recently. I’m writing them down so I don’t forget them. (And if you are one of these people, forgive me for misremembering any details.)

Lead Programmers of Yore

I asked one interviewer how he got into programming. Perhaps you would expect most to respond with a basic sequence of “school – internship – full-time,” but of course that’s not how it always happens. Maybe that’s even a rare case?

After having just a basic CS class under his belt, this guy applied to some local opportunities. I like that approach myself – just jumping into something and hoping your feet get wet. He ended up getting into a firm and discovering that the lead engineer scarcely knew what a for loop was!

Sounds like me during my first few years of tinkering. Whatever gets the job done, right? I bet he had a lot of fun cleaning up their codebase.

I’ve heard from a few friends that imposter syndrome is on the rise in the industry, but after hearing this story I believe it may have not been too different back then. (Or at least that the general standard today strives to be much higher.)

Making Games is Fun

Another interviewer told me a more traditional chain of events; you know, not a prodigy story of coding when he was five or something. He took a high-school CS class without prior interest.

Anyway, during his first class or so, the professor asked everyone attending – a sizeable number of students – “Who signed up to make video games?!”

Of course, there were a lot of hands raised and excitement all around. How thrilling! Making your own video game!

It wasn’t long before reality set in. Just a week or so into the course, he was one of five survivors.

I think today many people are still quite ignorant as to how much work it is to even make the simplest of products. I can’t blame them – they just don’t have that engineering mentality. Who cares about stupid details, right? (If you are a normal person reading this – sorry, you aren’t “ignorant,” you’re just normal.)

I Hated Research

This is what an operations director at a research company told me. I know I’m taking this a little bit out of context, but I couldn’t help but hone in on that ironic statement when she was telling her history.

It made me optimistic towards an offer – as I’m not quite a “research enthusiast” either – uh, but no, I believe I didn’t convey my commitment to their mission very well.

(If you are this person, I loved your story, and I also like your blog. Keep writing and running!)

"I seldom talk about it."

Most recently, a new connection told me this and then proceeded to share his adventure through building 90s webpages, working on PC builds, a flurry of academic achievements – jumping from not caring about Linux to managing dozens of servers in his school as a student job – culminating into roping student friends into a team to take on a well-paying opportunity presented at a campus job fair. Holy shit?

I haven’t attended a college or university, so I get jealous sometimes of people with stories like these. I like to think that I would make a pretty cool student...

The headline bit is interesting to me. I think that sometimes it can feel lonely as a developer. We can spend so much time and effort on things that most people will hardly understand. We can’t easily talk about our effort to friends and family. Tons of details need to be omitted which would otherwise go unappreciated anyway.

But hey, I am a developer, and definitely understand and appreciate smaller details. My engineering mentality doesn’t take things for granted. If you have a “developer story,” or any kind of intellectual story you want to share, I’m happy to listen.