Orchid Files

When I started programming, my whole day revolved around development. I’d wake up, write code, and go to sleep. And that’s how it was day in and day out. My entire social circle consisted of people who also wrote code. I studied frameworks, libraries, and various programming languages.

I got into development because I was fascinated by the idea that by writing code, I could create new programs. All I needed to do was learn how to program, and I’d be able to create anything. If I learned PHP, I could build back-end applications. If I learned HTML and CSS, I could build websites.

I could choose what I wanted to create, learn the necessary technologies for it, and start building. You open an IDE, create a new project, and build it from scratch. You choose patterns, libraries, and frameworks; you read the documentation and dive into the source code. You get so immersed in the process that you don’t even notice how the days fly by. Over time, you develop your own coding style.

I wrote code, and I enjoyed writing code, but it wasn’t the kind of work I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I preferred creating something new to the actual process of writing code. I liked starting from scratch — with nothing but an idea — to create a product that people actually use. That’s why I’ve always worked exclusively at startups and never at large companies.