(Trying) To Get Back To Development Roots
A few years back, I decided that I did not want to be a developer and found a calling of sorts in Interaction Design. Now, I was not that great a developer, even though I was told otherwise by two pretty darn good developers. It was just that I was never ‘in the zone’ for too long. And I felt I was making the right choice. Now, if grad school was not an eye-opening place, I would’ve probably regretted that decision I made. Thankfully, the design program at Indiana University and my peers and colleagues there made it an amazing learning experience. But sometimes I do wonder if I did not stick it out and quit too easily. And honestly, I did.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it brings me to present day, where am a reasonably competent designer. And being in the valley, wanting to try out my hand at starting something up. I have had a couple of projects in mind for a long time but never have taken them too far along due to the lack of other co-founders, especially developers. And yet again, I have tried to write some code only to give up too easily. Thankfully, I came across a couple of articles that gave me a kick up the back side and this time, I really want to put in a more valiant effort to write code.
While I sincerely believe being a designer is an amazing thing and it really gives me a lens to view things and do things that will be beyond what a developer can do, I cannot do what a developer can as well – which is churn out great, working code and turn an idea into something working on a computer.
So, here I am. Trying to write code. While I search for a great programmer (not just a good one), rather than remain stagnant, I should try and get somewhere. Of course, I am not neglecting my design side of things and will have a solid set of designs to help the project take off once the developer arrives. But until then, motion is not action.
The articles that helped
- Steve Blank: The difference between motion and action
- the other article was about a woman trying to solve a math problem for 30 minutes, not giving up and figuring it out. And how that attitude is amazing. Rather than ask for the solution, she stumbles through and finally groks it. Will update with the link as soon as I find it.
This reminds me, I need to write a post looking for a co-founder.
