I made this video because I’ve been reflecting on nearly 4.5 years as a programmer, and honestly… I got a lot wrong at the start. I rewind back to my first dev job in 2021 as a WordPress developer, where I was cramming PHP, jQuery, and JavaScript for weeks and then absolutely melted down when I saw a massive codebase on day one. Looking back, one of the biggest things that would’ve helped me was getting genuinely good at the tools I used every day—especially Git—because struggling with basics like pulling and pushing made everything harder than it needed to be. I also talk about how imposter syndrome held me back. Early on, I avoided new projects because I was scared of being “found out,” but the moment I shifted into “they’re paying me to learn” mode and started putting my hand up, my growth accelerated. Then I get into my biggest mistake: taking a role at an AI startup even though I got a weird energy from the CTO. The pay rise and remote travel sounded perfect, but the lack of support, missing structure (no PM/UX), and constant pressure killed my enjoyment of coding. The main takeaway: in your first 2–3 years, be intentional with the companies you choose. That period is high-risk for quitting, and the wrong environment can burn you out fast—even if the tech stack and salary look amazing.