Author reflects on 10 years as a professional programmer, starting from a paid internship after rediscovering their passion for coding.

Software development requires understanding context - just as small-town German lawyers operate differently than NYC lawyers, software needs vary by environment.

Programming, like baseball in Moneyball, has romantic moments despite seeming dry - we write instructions for machines that create magic.

Typing speed matters because programmers don't just write code—they also write messages, docs, reviews, and tickets throughout the day.

Ask "does it help me ship?" to avoid wasting time on automated busywork that doesn't directly help deliver features to users.