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Discussion on: From Chef to Programmer: Lessons From The Kitchen

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jeremy profile image
Jeremy Schuurmans

I think that's a really excellent point, and I'm glad you brought that up. I can only ever write about my own experience, and so when I wrote that I was thinking of my own feeling that if I loved cooking more, I would have felt more motivated improve, thus becoming successful. But just because my own lack of passion was a de-motivator, doesn't mean that I wouldn't have been able to find another source of motivation. The same holds true for anyone.

I don't think that being absolutely in love with a job is a prerequisite for anybody. I think that if someone wants to program for a living, they should do it, regardless of whether or not they live and breathe code. Even passion doesn't make up for being scrappy and working hard.

I've been searching for something I love and am good at my entire life. I feel lucky that I've found it in programming, but I don't want anyone to think that they would be somehow unable to be great at programming because they lack passion for it. All I'm pointing out is that I've noticed that the most successful people I've seen tend to have a passion for their work. But I'm limited by my own experience because that's all I can write about.

All our stories are different, and we are on our own journeys.

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thecodetrane profile image
Michael Cain

Certainly, and your experience is as relevant as mine. I mention it because I think there can be this “over-exhuberance” in our field. “Passion” becomes code for “working long hours and weekends”, which I feel can contribute to the stigma and ageism that is already plaguing the industry.