Hello! For those who don't know me yet, my name is Marcelo, and I have been a Fullstack Developer for about 5 years. My journey as a developer began in the best way possible, in my opinion. I would come home excited after having my inexperienced mind amazed by the possibilities that programming offers, presented by my former and current colleagues. What fascinated me the most about programming were the projects my colleagues were developing at the time. Seeing these applications come to life deeply inspired me.

Before entering the development field, I worked in user support. Although it is a challenging area, it provides a high level of knowledge about UX (user experience). Of course, for this to happen organically and smoothly, a lot of patience is needed. This experience was fundamental for my transition to development, as it gave me a deep understanding of how users interact with technology, which directly influenced my focus on creating intuitive and efficient solutions.

I spent countless nights studying the most common programming languages of the time, such as PHP, C#, and JavaScript. I also ventured into the world of DevOps, learning about automation, continuous integration, and deployment. Countless nights were spent facing bugs and learning the simplest way: by hitting the wall. One of the biggest challenges I faced was understanding that learning takes time and that it's okay to make many mistakes in the beginning. Not writing the most optimized blocks and projects is part of the learning process.

My experience in DevOps, although limited, was crucial for deploying many projects. I learned on my own, using the internet as my main source of knowledge, as there was no one to help me directly.

Gradually, I gained confidence in my abilities. Developing my first project alone was a total disaster, but I gained a lot of confidence by identifying the areas that needed improvement. I learned to make everything extremely more scalable and dynamic, which was essential for my growth.

My experience in user support also had a significant impact on my career as a developer. Understanding the needs and frustrations of users allowed me to create more effective and user-friendly solutions. For example, when developing a user interface, I always consider how I can make it as intuitive as possible, minimizing the learning curve and increasing user satisfaction. I always strive to keep the user informed by using loading icons, skeletons while the page loads, and confirmations or error toasts.

Today, as a fullstack developer, I am experiencing an unprecedented feeling. I feel that I possess knowledge that my younger, inexperienced self, who suffered from a major impostor syndrome, would never have imagined I would one day have.

I not only know how to “write code” competently but also understand what it means to Program. While these two things may seem synonymous, there is a crucial distinction between them. Writing code can take you wherever your ambition leads, but programming involves clearing and maintaining a path, like a road through a field full of debris.

Understanding and analyzing a solution before starting to write a block of code transforms development. Instead of being stuck in a dead-end, planning, using an appropriate architecture, and having a clear development philosophy make unforeseen obstacles merely small stones in the path, easily removed.

Reflecting and analyzing are simple but fundamental practices. Will the code I write take me where I need to go? What will be the impact of this block of code on the whole? Will it be reusable quickly and agilely? Will its understanding be easy and intuitive? And, above all, am I proud of what I am creating?

This is the mindset I have adopted, not just as a developer but as a programmer, understanding and valuing the hard-earned expertise over the years. I continue to learn and grow, always striving for excellence and satisfaction in what I do.

I hope this inspires and helps other developers reflect on their journey and professional evolution.