In this video I share the truth about working as a software developer after almost 3 years in tech, coming from a construction background as a self-taught web developer. I talk about the “good side” first: the work environment is safer (no more safety boots), you get simple perks like free coffee, and the biggest unfair advantage is that once you’re hired, you can double your learning because you’re coding full-time. You also get to watch real programmers troubleshoot step by step, learn how smart people structure code, and finally understand the real software development life cycle—DevOps, version control beyond just GitHub, and how teams actually ship software. Then I get into the “bad side” nobody wants to say out loud: bad leadership can drain you mentally when seniors keep pressuring you for deadlines but don’t guide you through problems. Culture can be tough if you’re extroverted like me because most programmers I met are very introvert—even during lunch. And the crunch is real: sprints, late hours, weekend pings, even getting disturbed on your leave, sometimes with zero overtime compensation (at least in my Southeast Asia experience). That’s why I chose full-remote now and why I’m building my own startups—so when the clock ends, it ends, and I can use coding to build something from nothing and make money independently.