December 16, 2024 • 14 mins
I'm done with frontend. It's time to become a backend developer, and here is why...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Don Hansen (00:00):
I think I hate the JavaScript world and in my
professional career I chosefront end and I think I made the
wrong decision.
I've been thinking about goingback into the industry for a
while now and I want to talkabout why I haven't.
So I have worked front end forthree different dev positions
(00:30):
and then the third position wasfull stack and it was just full
stack because I was, you know,in the GraphQL layer 20% of the
time, but I mainly worked withfront end.
I mainly worked with Reactfront end.
(00:50):
I mainly worked with React andI don't know what it is, but I
felt like I just got less andless excitement about building
front end applications withReact.
I liked getting better withJavaScript.
I like becoming a betterdeveloper as I dove deeper into
JavaScript specifically.
But I feel like the directionthat React and the JavaScript
(01:11):
world is going has been makingthe JavaScript ecosystem more
complex to solve problems thatit continues to introduce.
I'm not interested in solvingany more problems with
JavaScript and React itself.
Just it's just single pageapplications in general.
I with how popular and hireable, like how popular React is and
(01:39):
how hireable you are for likereally getting good with it in
front end.
I just it just feels like Reactis used to solve every single
front end applications problem.
I feel like it has broughtorganization that a lot of front
(02:00):
end developers have desperatelyneeded and there are a lot of
neat features that have comewith it lot of front-end
developers have desperatelyneeded and there are a lot of
neat features that have comewith it.
But I do feel like we keeptrying to push something that is
broken.
I don't think single-pageapplications were meant to get
this complex and again thecomplexity keeps coming from the
(02:23):
drawbacks of single pageapplications where a lot of
websites, like when you have todo implement server side
rendering and proper hydrationto be able to make React work
for what mostly is kind of justlike a lot of like static
content mostly is kind of justlike a lot of like static
(02:43):
content.
I feel like we just keepforcing React on every single
problem that we have.
Most websites don't need Reactand the conventions aren't even
agreed upon in React, like it'sjust a library, it's not a
framework, and Next and otherframeworks have tried to solve
(03:09):
that problem.
But when I meet a lot of peoplethat love Next, they're not
really good with JavaScript,like a lot of new developers
coming into the industry.
They're not really good withJavaScript.
Just their favorite contentcreator or Twitter told them
that they need to be learningNext if they want to be hireable
(03:29):
, which is entirely untrue.
Very few jobs hire for Nextright now.
Compared to just using react, um, compared to other alternative
solutions, next is not popularon the front end, not to the
extent where, like you, shouldbe dedicating all of your time
just building shit with next,like there are a lot of really
bad developers that are bad withjavascript and they remain bad,
(03:50):
but they're able to piecetogether an application.
But that's the.
That's like the culture that'sbeen built around.
The cult of next and even liketailwind is another one that
just continues to get pushed out.
So many people that just areobsessed with tailwind,
especially new developers, arejust shitty at css.
They're just, they're so shitty.
They don't understand semantichtml, they don't understand
accessibility, they don't.
They just don't understand alot of the fundamentals and the
(04:14):
basics that so many goodfront-end developers really got
a solid foundation with, and Ithink the problem with the
JavaScript world is we keepintroducing these really complex
abstractions that most peopleare not going to have the time
to dig into that are so complexbecause they keep solving the
problems that single pageapplications keep introducing to
every fucking application.
(04:34):
I just like there is nothingexciting or inspiring about
continuing to solve problems onthe front end when this shit
ball just keeps snowballing intosomething bigger and bigger and
bigger.
And that's how I feel aboutJavaScript and I've been
thinking about going back intothe industry with my
professional front endexperience.
(04:56):
But every time I think aboutapplying for front end positions
I'm like I'm going to hate mylife again, I am going to hate
the problems that I solve andeventually I think I'm just
going to quit again and, youknow, go the entrepreneurship
route, like really double downon that and continue building it
up with affiliate links andcontent creation.
And like I have ideas of otherthings that I want to do and
(05:16):
projects I want to create.
But man, like I want to lovethe idea of being a software
engineer and I I just can't withfront end anymore.
That there's just somethingabout it that is, it just kills
my passion for this industry.
But I have been working onpersonal projects for the past
(05:40):
two years and Every single timeI dive into the back end, that
excitement comes back that Iused to get and I'm building a
pretty complex applicationthat's going to have a lot of
features.
That is really like alreadystarting to get a little bit
more difficult to organize.
But even finally scrapping JustExpress and using Nest JS not
(06:04):
Next Nest has made organizationof my application fun again,
organization of my applicationfun again, and I think it kind
of just like makes deter.
Javascript has become just alittle bit more tolerable.
It smells a lot less, but theproblems that I need to solve on
(06:26):
the backend when I like for theapplication that I'm trying to
build for potentially, like youknow, a hundred streamers with a
thousand concurrent viewers andbeing able to process a lot of
the events that I'm trying tobuild for potentially, like you
know, a hundred streamers with athousand concurrent viewers and
being able to process a lot ofthe events that come through,
like I'm seeing how bad my codeis and how inefficient my code
is, and the idea of justbecoming a better developer, a
(06:51):
better software engineer, to beable to not only maintain good
organizations so I don't getlost in all of this but just
become a better developer andlearn better conventions and
ways of doing things, moreefficient ways of doing things
and balancing a lot of theefficiency with readability and
learning a lot of backendconventions.
That is like the front endconventions.
(07:13):
It's kind of like the wild west.
You get so many front enddevelopers that disagree with
each other.
But I feel like backend hasjust solved a lot of its
problems and it's just a lotmore agreed upon than front end.
And I think the complicationswith front-end come because a
lot of the solutions thatfront-end keep introducing just
(07:35):
keep introducing more problems,a lot more problems.
But I like the problems thatI'm solving in the back-end.
Even the idea of building myown event system to be able to
handle all of this.
Coming through and seeing thelimitations that Nodejs is going
to bring and even beinginspired like maybe I just need
(07:58):
to switch out Nodejs and ditchJavaScript for a backend that's
going to be able to handle thisa lot better.
That's exciting.
I want to learn this.
That's exciting.
I want to learn this, and sothat's why I think I'm going to
finally go on the path ofbecoming a good backend
developer.
I think I chose the wrong pathwith frontend and I think a lot
(08:21):
of my complaints with frontendsome frontend developers, they
just don't see it that way andthat's okay.
I think the JavaScriptecosystem is shit.
I think the culture that isbuilt, this cult, think the
culture that has built this cultlike culture that has been
built around a lot of the reallypopular tools has blown me away
about, like how how much nuanceis ignored on the front end.
(08:44):
Like it's, it's like black andwhite.
You either use this in onesolution for every single
problem you have or you don't,or you just get shiny toy
syndrome and like every newJavaScript library or framework
that comes out, you have to trythat out and we have to replace
our code base with that.
Like just the thought processof front-end developers.
I just I don't think going inthat direction was building me
(09:08):
into a better developer.
Going in that direction wasbuilding me into a better
developer and I feel like Ireally lost out on a lot of CS
fundamental concepts and I feellike I lost out on being a
really good software engineer.
That I see like when I look atcurriculums and I see the extent
of what you need to know andthe foundation that is expected
(09:29):
of you as a backend developer,the bar just seems higher, and
not for it's not complex forcomplexity's sake.
But the backend is actuallycomplex, right, because there's
a lot to it, not because there'sjust a ton of problems that
keeps being introduced into thebackend which there are some of
what?
But like, that's all a frontend.
(09:51):
That's why front end keepsgetting more complex.
You're just front enddevelopers, I swear, just making
it more complex so they canremain hired for as long as
possible.
It just like complexity forcomplexity sake is not what I'm
interested in.
I just and I just enjoy backendproblems more.
I just have fun, fun again.
It brings that excitement back.
So, um, I'm going to finally, uh, try to become a good software
(10:16):
engineer.
Um, and I feel like I've.
I feel like I'm just mediocre,like I have built.
When I left my third position,I was getting paid over 100k I'm
not going to say the exactamount, but like I was a was a
mid level developer and I feellike at this point I have a much
more solid programmingfoundation than I had when I
(10:39):
left that position, I feel likeI'm a better developer.
But then, as I keep meetingother really brilliant
developers and start expandingpast the front end brilliant
developers and start expandingpast the front end, I kind of
feel like I'm like kind of lowend, mid-level developer where
I'm just starting to see so manylevels to software engineering
(10:59):
that just seem like exciting toexplore.
Like I just want to get better.
I want to be a good developerand I feel like I'm a mediocre
developer and I'm tired of beinga mediocre developer and I
think I've been trying to findlike what, what would kind of
spark that interest in me.
But I think I'm going to divedeep into backend.
So, um, a program that I oftenadvertise is bootdev right.
(11:23):
You know, um, full disclosure.
Uh, I'm an affiliate partnerwith them.
You can use my coupon in thedescription to get a discount
and I don't care if you use itor not.
I just wanted to disclose thatright.
I get a commission, I get paidfor it.
I like I don't care if you useit or not, I recommend it.
But like that's not why I'mtelling you I'm going to go to
the full bootdev program or likemost of it.
(11:45):
I don't know if I'm going to gothrough the JavaScript portion,
but I'm going to go through mostof it and I want to really dive
deep in the backend.
I want to actually get goodwith it and I'm wondering if I
never really pursued it becauseI feared that I just sucked with
it, right, like when you gethired and you get paid a lot of
money to just do somethingyou're good at, it's really hard
to change that and do somethingdrastically different and lose
(12:10):
that stability.
But you know, like I quit mydev job five years ago to kind
of build my own company.
So, like, what do I have tolose, right?
So I'm gonna dive deep in theback end.
I want to become a gooddeveloper for once and stop
being mediocre and pursuesomething that actually excites
me.
And if I go back into theindustry with it which I very
well might, awesome.
(12:31):
But if I don't, like, I feellike I'm going to just build a
lot more interesting things, um,and actually get excited about
coding and stop pushing it offso often.
So, um, I'm going to be livestreaming this.
Um quite a bit, I think and youknow my schedule might change a
little bit and I'll try toupdate you guys when I do go
live but, um, yeah, you'll seeme going live learning through
(12:54):
bootdev, building some otherstuff.
Um, I'd like to be doing a lotof coding, regardless of whether
I'm live, streaming it or not,like I am set to become a good
back developer.
Um, I think it's about time andthat finally excites me for
once.
So, um, I will try to provideupdates and share, like, how my
(13:14):
progress is going.
But you know I talk a lot about,um, you know, try, like, really
strive to become a gooddeveloper.
But you know one thing that'sreally a blocker for that is
when you don't have somethingthat excites you to move forward
.
You can't just learn what youthink is popular and is going to
(13:36):
make you marketable.
Companies want to hire goodsoftware engineers.
They want to pay you a lot ofmoney for being a good, a damn
good software engineer a good, adamn good software engineer.
And if I had to provide onepiece of advice, stop chasing
trends.
A lot of people are skippingway too many foundations, and
(13:57):
this advice comes from finallyidentifying that I have avoided
a really solid foundation for sodamn long.
But, yeah, we're going to getthat.
We're going to become a goodbackend developer and you'll be
able to see my process in thelive stream.
So I hope to see you there.
I think I hate the JavaScript world and in my
professional career I chosefront end and I think I made the
wrong decision.
I've been thinking about goingback into the industry for a
while now and I want to talkabout why I haven't.
So I have worked front end forthree different dev positions
(00:30):
and then the third position wasfull stack and it was just full
stack because I was, you know,in the GraphQL layer 20% of the
time, but I mainly worked withfront end.
I mainly worked with Reactfront end.
(00:50):
I mainly worked with React andI don't know what it is, but I
felt like I just got less andless excitement about building
front end applications withReact.
I liked getting better withJavaScript.
I like becoming a betterdeveloper as I dove deeper into
JavaScript specifically.
But I feel like the directionthat React and the JavaScript
(01:11):
world is going has been makingthe JavaScript ecosystem more
complex to solve problems thatit continues to introduce.
I'm not interested in solvingany more problems with
JavaScript and React itself.
Just it's just single pageapplications in general.
I with how popular and hireable, like how popular React is and
(01:39):
how hireable you are for likereally getting good with it in
front end.
I just it just feels like Reactis used to solve every single
front end applications problem.
I feel like it has broughtorganization that a lot of front
(02:00):
end developers have desperatelyneeded and there are a lot of
neat features that have comewith it lot of front-end
developers have desperatelyneeded and there are a lot of
neat features that have comewith it.
But I do feel like we keeptrying to push something that is
broken.
I don't think single-pageapplications were meant to get
this complex and again thecomplexity keeps coming from the
(02:23):
drawbacks of single pageapplications where a lot of
websites, like when you have todo implement server side
rendering and proper hydrationto be able to make React work
for what mostly is kind of justlike a lot of like static
content mostly is kind of justlike a lot of like static
(02:43):
content.
I feel like we just keepforcing React on every single
problem that we have.
Most websites don't need Reactand the conventions aren't even
agreed upon in React, like it'sjust a library, it's not a
framework, and Next and otherframeworks have tried to solve
(03:09):
that problem.
But when I meet a lot of peoplethat love Next, they're not
really good with JavaScript,like a lot of new developers
coming into the industry.
They're not really good withJavaScript.
Just their favorite contentcreator or Twitter told them
that they need to be learningNext if they want to be hireable
(03:29):
, which is entirely untrue.
Very few jobs hire for Nextright now.
Compared to just using react, um, compared to other alternative
solutions, next is not popularon the front end, not to the
extent where, like you, shouldbe dedicating all of your time
just building shit with next,like there are a lot of really
bad developers that are bad withjavascript and they remain bad,
(03:50):
but they're able to piecetogether an application.
But that's the.
That's like the culture that'sbeen built around.
The cult of next and even liketailwind is another one that
just continues to get pushed out.
So many people that just areobsessed with tailwind,
especially new developers, arejust shitty at css.
They're just, they're so shitty.
They don't understand semantichtml, they don't understand
accessibility, they don't.
They just don't understand alot of the fundamentals and the
(04:14):
basics that so many goodfront-end developers really got
a solid foundation with, and Ithink the problem with the
JavaScript world is we keepintroducing these really complex
abstractions that most peopleare not going to have the time
to dig into that are so complexbecause they keep solving the
problems that single pageapplications keep introducing to
every fucking application.
(04:34):
I just like there is nothingexciting or inspiring about
continuing to solve problems onthe front end when this shit
ball just keeps snowballing intosomething bigger and bigger and
bigger.
And that's how I feel aboutJavaScript and I've been
thinking about going back intothe industry with my
professional front endexperience.
(04:56):
But every time I think aboutapplying for front end positions
I'm like I'm going to hate mylife again, I am going to hate
the problems that I solve andeventually I think I'm just
going to quit again and, youknow, go the entrepreneurship
route, like really double downon that and continue building it
up with affiliate links andcontent creation.
And like I have ideas of otherthings that I want to do and
(05:16):
projects I want to create.
But man, like I want to lovethe idea of being a software
engineer and I I just can't withfront end anymore.
That there's just somethingabout it that is, it just kills
my passion for this industry.
But I have been working onpersonal projects for the past
(05:40):
two years and Every single timeI dive into the back end, that
excitement comes back that Iused to get and I'm building a
pretty complex applicationthat's going to have a lot of
features.
That is really like alreadystarting to get a little bit
more difficult to organize.
But even finally scrapping JustExpress and using Nest JS not
(06:04):
Next Nest has made organizationof my application fun again,
organization of my applicationfun again, and I think it kind
of just like makes deter.
Javascript has become just alittle bit more tolerable.
It smells a lot less, but theproblems that I need to solve on
(06:26):
the backend when I like for theapplication that I'm trying to
build for potentially, like youknow, a hundred streamers with a
thousand concurrent viewers andbeing able to process a lot of
the events that I'm trying tobuild for potentially, like you
know, a hundred streamers with athousand concurrent viewers and
being able to process a lot ofthe events that come through,
like I'm seeing how bad my codeis and how inefficient my code
is, and the idea of justbecoming a better developer, a
(06:51):
better software engineer, to beable to not only maintain good
organizations so I don't getlost in all of this but just
become a better developer andlearn better conventions and
ways of doing things, moreefficient ways of doing things
and balancing a lot of theefficiency with readability and
learning a lot of backendconventions.
That is like the front endconventions.
(07:13):
It's kind of like the wild west.
You get so many front enddevelopers that disagree with
each other.
But I feel like backend hasjust solved a lot of its
problems and it's just a lotmore agreed upon than front end.
And I think the complicationswith front-end come because a
lot of the solutions thatfront-end keep introducing just
(07:35):
keep introducing more problems,a lot more problems.
But I like the problems thatI'm solving in the back-end.
Even the idea of building myown event system to be able to
handle all of this.
Coming through and seeing thelimitations that Nodejs is going
to bring and even beinginspired like maybe I just need
(07:58):
to switch out Nodejs and ditchJavaScript for a backend that's
going to be able to handle thisa lot better.
That's exciting.
I want to learn this.
That's exciting.
I want to learn this, and sothat's why I think I'm going to
finally go on the path ofbecoming a good backend
developer.
I think I chose the wrong pathwith frontend and I think a lot
(08:21):
of my complaints with frontendsome frontend developers, they
just don't see it that way andthat's okay.
I think the JavaScriptecosystem is shit.
I think the culture that isbuilt, this cult, think the
culture that has built this cultlike culture that has been
built around a lot of the reallypopular tools has blown me away
about, like how how much nuanceis ignored on the front end.
(08:44):
Like it's, it's like black andwhite.
You either use this in onesolution for every single
problem you have or you don't,or you just get shiny toy
syndrome and like every newJavaScript library or framework
that comes out, you have to trythat out and we have to replace
our code base with that.
Like just the thought processof front-end developers.
I just I don't think going inthat direction was building me
(09:08):
into a better developer.
Going in that direction wasbuilding me into a better
developer and I feel like Ireally lost out on a lot of CS
fundamental concepts and I feellike I lost out on being a
really good software engineer.
That I see like when I look atcurriculums and I see the extent
of what you need to know andthe foundation that is expected
(09:29):
of you as a backend developer,the bar just seems higher, and
not for it's not complex forcomplexity's sake.
But the backend is actuallycomplex, right, because there's
a lot to it, not because there'sjust a ton of problems that
keeps being introduced into thebackend which there are some of
what?
But like, that's all a frontend.
(09:51):
That's why front end keepsgetting more complex.
You're just front enddevelopers, I swear, just making
it more complex so they canremain hired for as long as
possible.
It just like complexity forcomplexity sake is not what I'm
interested in.
I just and I just enjoy backendproblems more.
I just have fun, fun again.
It brings that excitement back.
So, um, I'm going to finally, uh, try to become a good software
(10:16):
engineer.
Um, and I feel like I've.
I feel like I'm just mediocre,like I have built.
When I left my third position,I was getting paid over 100k I'm
not going to say the exactamount, but like I was a was a
mid level developer and I feellike at this point I have a much
more solid programmingfoundation than I had when I
(10:39):
left that position, I feel likeI'm a better developer.
But then, as I keep meetingother really brilliant
developers and start expandingpast the front end brilliant
developers and start expandingpast the front end, I kind of
feel like I'm like kind of lowend, mid-level developer where
I'm just starting to see so manylevels to software engineering
(10:59):
that just seem like exciting toexplore.
Like I just want to get better.
I want to be a good developerand I feel like I'm a mediocre
developer and I'm tired of beinga mediocre developer and I
think I've been trying to findlike what, what would kind of
spark that interest in me.
But I think I'm going to divedeep into backend.
So, um, a program that I oftenadvertise is bootdev right.
(11:23):
You know, um, full disclosure.
Uh, I'm an affiliate partnerwith them.
You can use my coupon in thedescription to get a discount
and I don't care if you use itor not.
I just wanted to disclose thatright.
I get a commission, I get paidfor it.
I like I don't care if you useit or not, I recommend it.
But like that's not why I'mtelling you I'm going to go to
the full bootdev program or likemost of it.
(11:45):
I don't know if I'm going to gothrough the JavaScript portion,
but I'm going to go through mostof it and I want to really dive
deep in the backend.
I want to actually get goodwith it and I'm wondering if I
never really pursued it becauseI feared that I just sucked with
it, right, like when you gethired and you get paid a lot of
money to just do somethingyou're good at, it's really hard
to change that and do somethingdrastically different and lose
(12:10):
that stability.
But you know, like I quit mydev job five years ago to kind
of build my own company.
So, like, what do I have tolose, right?
So I'm gonna dive deep in theback end.
I want to become a gooddeveloper for once and stop
being mediocre and pursuesomething that actually excites
me.
And if I go back into theindustry with it which I very
well might, awesome.
(12:31):
But if I don't, like, I feellike I'm going to just build a
lot more interesting things, um,and actually get excited about
coding and stop pushing it offso often.
So, um, I'm going to be livestreaming this.
Um quite a bit, I think and youknow my schedule might change a
little bit and I'll try toupdate you guys when I do go
live but, um, yeah, you'll seeme going live learning through
(12:54):
bootdev, building some otherstuff.
Um, I'd like to be doing a lotof coding, regardless of whether
I'm live, streaming it or not,like I am set to become a good
back developer.
Um, I think it's about time andthat finally excites me for
once.
So, um, I will try to provideupdates and share, like, how my
(13:14):
progress is going.
But you know I talk a lot about,um, you know, try, like, really
strive to become a gooddeveloper.
But you know one thing that'sreally a blocker for that is
when you don't have somethingthat excites you to move forward
.
You can't just learn what youthink is popular and is going to
(13:36):
make you marketable.
Companies want to hire goodsoftware engineers.
They want to pay you a lot ofmoney for being a good, a damn
good software engineer a good, adamn good software engineer.
And if I had to provide onepiece of advice, stop chasing
trends.
A lot of people are skippingway too many foundations, and
(13:57):
this advice comes from finallyidentifying that I have avoided
a really solid foundation for sodamn long.
But, yeah, we're going to getthat.
We're going to become a goodbackend developer and you'll be
able to see my process in thelive stream.
So I hope to see you there.
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