In terms of impacting other people, probably the biggest thing was blog posts and sample code. It’s funny how sample code has less “cred” than “real” code, but if you’ve ever been trying to start a new project in a new language or framework you know how invaluable sample code can be.
In terms of impact in general, what I’m working on now has been the most impactful , because it’s improved my health. Im trying to innovate on the concept of a habit tracker. Since I started working on it, I’ve lost 10 pounds, quit drinking, went from about a gram of marijuana use a day to about a gram a month, quit addictive video games, went surfing much more consistently, and been able to put in many more hours of focused work than I ever have before despite working alone and only being accountable to myself.
Generally when Ive gotten feedback about the project, I’ve gotten told it’s too complex, people want simplicity, I should focus on B2B, and I shouldn’t write any code at all unless I’ve validated a problem. I try to communicate to people that I don’t want to sacrifice my own health progress to simplify things. But I am hoping long term I can figure out how to build a bridge between what’s effective for myself and what’s appealing and understandable to everyone else. Lots of work to be done! But I think improving my own life a lot more impact than most of the stuff my employers had me doing :)
