For years I told myself I wasn’t a developer. I ignored the evidence and let failures define me.

Once I let go of the myth of the perfect developer, I claimed that part of my identity that had been mine all along.

1. The Perfect Developer

That stuck with me ten years ago. Even today whispers of it still appear.

But here’s what I learned: Wanting to be a better developer is proof you are one. The more you show up, the more you become.

2. The Impostor Developer

Early in my career I developed a Kinect app. That project allowed me to give multiple talks. I started all my talks by saying I am not a developer. I was afraid someone would call me out.

Today I know impostor syndrome is common even on senior developers. We tend to focus more on the gap than on the gain.

Daily journaling and quarterly reflections have helped me remember the progress, not just the shortcomings.

3. The Exploited Developer

Things were going well until the environment became toxic: unrealistic deadlines, screaming, late hours.

After I quit, I stopped looking for developer opportunities and walked away from programming for 6 years.

There’s always a valuable lesson behind a failure. The faster you learn it, the more power it gives you when the right opportunity comes.

Breaking through the barriers

It took me many struggles to understand that I wasn’t lacking skill or knowledge. My identity was lacking.

Decide who you want to be and act from that identity.

1. If you strive to improve, you are already a better version of you.
2. If you keep building and shipping, you silence the impostor developer voice.
3. If you learn from failure and keep trying, the fear disappears.

🎨 Indie life

• I’m now officially enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program: Last week I mentioned having issues with the enrollment process. What worked for me was to start the enrollment via their website. The Developer app on my iPhone was getting stuck with the license/government ID verification.
• User Insights: I documented 20+ insights from the User Testing Interviews (plus a few big-picture ideas) that will make the app simpler and more engaging.
• Ready to code: I defined how the data will flow in the app so it can surface stats and progress clearly. If you are curious what's my app about, I talked about it in my last video.

🌊 Internet bits

• Nathan Barry is the CEO and founder of Kit. It was amazing to listen to his history and how he bootstrapped Kit: How I turned $1000 into $320 MILLION | Nathan Barry​
• Ever wondered how a jingle of your (favorite) website would sound? Try this curious tool from ElevenLabs: AI Jingle Maker​
• This is the best moment to be an Obsidian user. Last week they announced Bases which turns your notes into an easy to use and powerful database. Here are 5 ways in which you can use Obsidian Bases.