Why Zero To Dev?

There are not many words or ideas which I can utilize as a proper metaphor when describing a software developer. There are certainly some traits I see in many writers, designers, and creative minds which lead them to become great at creating software. Is it just about solving problems or being good at writing code? Could we possibly put together a list of traits which an inspiring software developer could examine to see if they would be a good fit for the field of software development? In the process of exploring what it means to go from ZeroToDev, I seek to bring clarity to software development, to bring positive change to the industry, and to inspire others who might be considering a career in software development.

To Bring Clarity

There are many avenues to becoming a developer. People from all walks of life choose to make this the focus of their career. And yet we still do not have a good way of explaining how one becomes a software developer. If a middle school or high school student were to come to me doing a report on careers in software development, I would not have a clear picture to paint for them as to how to get started. I could share some common routes many take on the path to becoming a software developer, but there is very little clarity on these common paths and their advantages or disadvantages. Is this just “how it is always been done” or are there options which could serve the people, the developers better?

To Create Positive Change

It seems as though there are a lot of external forces which are creating and defining the development industry before our very eyes. Many of these forces do so without considering the best interest of developers. I stand for the people in the trenches of software development. I choose to value the people over profit or profession. Let us give voice to those who create the software, who test the software, etc. Let us bring a different perspective to the table, which serves the interest of the hardworking individuals who call this their career. Let us work with the external forces to invoke positive change which benefits all involved.

To Inspire Others

There are a lot of people who would love to be a part of the software development industry. Let us tell the stories of developers everywhere to inspire the future generations of software developers. Let us peel back the curtain to show what a software developer does and describe the skills or qualities which make a software developer great. Let us give them a path of how to start, where to start, etc. I hope to shed some light on this for all involved.

Let us face it. It is up to us, the developers, to create the change we desperately seek. It is up to us, to tackle the issues which cause pain points in this industry we love. The younger version of us would have been thrilled to discover a clear path towards a rewarding career in software development. So why have we yet to create such a thing? Let us not forget what it was/is like to get started? Let’s take ownership and create the opportunities we wish existed months or years ago.