Growing as a Developer: Breaking Comfort Zones and Thriving in Change

2025-01-27

I used AI to translate this post into English to share my thoughts more clearly with a wider audience.

Being a Developer Is More Than Just Writing Code

When I first started coding, I quickly realized that being a good developer isn’t just about writing clean code. It’s about solving problems and growing through those experiences. Working in a small, fast-paced team allowed me to wear many hats, and that’s where I found real excitement and growth.

From the very beginning of my journey, I was curious about how I could maximize my value as an individual. Since I wasn't entirely sure what I was good at or passionate about, I gravitated towards smaller teams where I could explore various roles and responsibilities.

Finding My Value as a Developer

Taking on diverse tasks in a small team helped me understand myself better. Tackling different challenges not only kept things interesting but also shaped my unique perspective as a developer. I thought combining my love for travel and languages with my career would be exciting.

I expected to find joy in improving BX (Brand Experience) and UX (User Experience). However, as I delved deeper into development, I discovered that I was more fascinated by solving complex, real-world problems through code than focusing on any specific domain.

Tackling Real-World Complexity Through Code

This interest led me to work in the medical and veterinary tech domains. Leveraging large-scale models to address real-world challenges became incredibly fulfilling. Structuring and solving complicated problems through code was both intellectually stimulating and rewarding.

I started as a frontend developer, but after a year, I felt that focusing solely on UI wasn’t enough to develop deep problem-solving skills. So, I teamed up with a marketer and designer—former colleagues—to tackle a side project. Despite having no backend experience, I dived into React Native, Firebase, and back-office web development. After many late nights post-work, we successfully launched the app on both iOS and Android markets. This experience boosted my confidence and expanded my technical skills, particularly in cross-platform development and serverless architecture.

Maximizing My Impact in the Workplace

Through these experiences, I realized that taking on varied responsibilities accelerated my technical growth. Stepping up and saying, "I’ll give it a shot," became my mantra. My company evaluated these initiatives by assigning small pilot projects to test my capabilities.

For instance, after successfully integrating a new API, I was trusted with more complex system integration tasks. I believe that taking on the right challenges not only contributes to immediate company success but also fuels long-term personal growth. In this journey, I started as a frontend developer at a medical tech company but expanded into backend development after discussions with the CTO. Leading projects like national system integrations and collaborations with university hospitals enriched my experience and made me a more versatile developer.

What’s Next: New Country, New Challenges

Recently, I set a new goal for myself. While developers write code in English, communication in Korea is primarily in Korean. This made me wonder:

What if I worked in an environment where English was the primary language? Would that push me to grow even further?

I believe that working in an English-speaking environment with people from diverse cultural backgrounds would not only enhance my technical skills but also inspire personal growth. This realization stems from my time living in Barcelona, Spain, where I spent 1.5 years working part-time during university. What started as a desire to practice Spanish turned into a transformative experience.

Living abroad shifted my perspective on life and broadened my thinking. Now, I’m eager to work in a new country with diverse teams. My goal is to learn from global collaboration, gain experience in large-scale system design, and continuously challenge myself. I’m confident these new experiences will strengthen my problem-solving skills and adaptability even further.