Aug 16

・4 min read

Imposter syndrome in tech is hard man. It's when you "realize" you're bad at it and start doubting yourself, waiting for the time for people to find out you're not a good coder. I've experienced it countless times that I'm immune to it now and able to give you the following advices. This article will be heavily focused on comparing yourself with others because that is the main cause of imposter syndrome.

Who Am I?

Just a regular software engineering student who started to code a little late than others, but I know a whole lot about imposter syndrome and this article will probably help you to get your peace back.

So how do you overcome it once and for all?

Stop Comparing Your Growing Self To Someone Who Started Earlier (Don't Ignore This Point)

So you're 27 and you feel like a total idiot because a 16 year old kid knows more than you? Of course, right? But wait a second. Do you see the full context? Let's make a quick comparison between you and this prodigy 16 year old kid, let's name him kid ABC.

You: 27 years old, born in 1994 and reached 16 years old at 2010.
Kid ABC: 16 years old, born in 2005 and reached 16 years old at 2021.

You: In 2010 (16 years old), no one told you how universities don't teach you all the things you need to get a great a job or to start a successful business, so you grinded at university working for good grades.
Kid ABC: In 2021 (16 years old), kid ABC has got TikTok where he'd see Gary Vee everyday on his FYP telling him how universities wouldn't teach you all the things you need, rather it is your job to learn the necessary skills to get a cool job or to start a business.

You: Your parents probably didn't know how to code, and therefore didn't push you to code while you're a kid.
Kid ABC: His dad is a tech guy, got kid ABC enrolled in a coding bootcamp when he was 7.

You: Didn't have access to online coding courses when you're 16 because no one created one.
Kid ABC: Has access to unlimited coding courses at 16.

I swear I can write 20+ more points, but I don't need to. The thing is, comparing yourself to others (especially the new generation) does not make sense, at all. It's like comparing iPhone 5 to iPhone 12, where these phones' release dates are so far from each other.

Be Proud Of What You've Achieved

At the very least, be proud of your character, where you don't brag about yourself and are willing to work hard. On top of that, look at your achievements. Everything counts, including knowing how to code in more than 1 language, being able to type fast, and so on. Again, never compare yourself with others.

Realize That Tech Can Miraculously Favor Anyone Especially The Weaker Ones

Really. You can be a bang average coder and in a few months or years be elevated so high that you'll be surprised how you achieved the things you're about to achieve. Do you know Brad Traversy?

He was a homeless drug addict at 25-ish years old, and now he's one of the best YouTube tutors (channel: Traversy Media) in software development. I bet he's a multi-millionaire too. What about Rafeh Qazi from Clever Programmer YouTube channel?

He was a poor immigrant from Pakistan and started to code at the end of 21 years old. His peers definitely would have known coding ever since their high school years or earlier. Now, he's a millionaire and has a $4.5 million mansion.

The thing is, you should be extremely proud that good stuffs weren't given to you while you were kid, including money and extreme guidance by your parents to the world of tech. This allows you to truly enjoy all the things you achieve as it is you who worked hard for everything.

Realize What You Need To Be Truly Be Happy

Here are the things you need as a developer to be truly happy in order:

• Health
• Family
• Relationship (friends/marital/colleagues)
• Money (just enough to support all your needs and wants)
• Knowledge of tech/job in tech/tech business
• A small amount of luxury

As you can see, tech actually comes last in my opinion. Never worship tech although you love it so much because there are so much more important things to be excited for and care about.

Understand The Circle of Life

Remember kid ABC from point 1? When he becomes older, he'll realize that most of his skills are outdated and here's the fun part. When he's older, say 40, he'll realize that 5 year old kids at that time will know much more than he was at 5. Why? Didn't he start coding at 7? Yes he did, but the nature of world is that things get better over time and people get access to information quicker and in a much more efficient manner, so it is unwise to compare yourself to anyone especially the younger generation when it comes to tech. So why are you comparing yourself with others?

So that is all from me. I hope this article helped you to overcome your imposter syndrome. If you like this article, consider buying me a coffee.