A Web Developer in Recovery...

Brett Dev

Feb '24 • Off Topic

Some of you might have spotted the "recovering web developer" tag in my bio and wondered, "What's that all about?"

Tonight, I feel like sharing what it means to me and how this journey of recovery could be a turning point for you too.

For a big chunk of my life, I was deep into web development.

In the beginning I loved it.

But as time went on, the initial thrill faded.

It turned into a mental drain—so taxing, yet I just couldn't quit.

Why?

Maybe it was the prestige of being a developer or the notion that developers rake in the big bucks (though that wasn't exactly my reality).

I was so committed, so narrow-minded, that I missed out on opportunities that were simpler and potentially more profitable.

Back in 2011 and 2012, I got into SEO and saw a lot of success.

But I never went all in because I had locked myself into the "developer" identity.

This label, this self-imposed limit, I clung to it desperately.

Was it the cool factor?

The hard work I'd put into mastering it?

Tough to pin down.

What's undeniable is that I was wearing such heavy blinders, I was completely blind to paths that were less stressful and possibly more rewarding.

In fact, I refused to believe that those existed, there was no way someone out there was putting in less effort, reading less books than me and getting further ahead than I was.

Oh, what a fool I was.

How foolish to think that because you bring yourself to the point of mental exhaustion every day you are getting ahead.

That's not getting ahead that's going backwards.

Then I discovered online marketing...

It blew my fucking head off my shoulders.

The world of sales funnels, landing pages, copywriting, ads and opt-ins was just so fucking cool to me.

However, even with this passion, I clung to my developer identity for way too long.

I'm not sure when exactly I threw in the towel, it was probably triggered subsconcisouly by some shitty clients (I've had a fair few of them in my day)

But at some point, I decided to dive headfirst into marketing.

And, to my surprise, I thrived.

It felt natural.

I couldn't believe how much easier it came to me than coding.

Here's the takeaway...

Passion is everything.

If you're not feeling passionate about your work, even if you've invested a ton into it, it's okay to let go.

Moving on from a past identity can be scary, but it's also incredibly freeing.

You can start over, no matter your age, and rapidly outpace the competition.

I hope my story lights a spark for some of you tonight.

All the best,

Brett Dev