There are enough influencers and development bloggers out there who have reached huge success. We see them everywhere on YouTube, Medium, Twitter, etc. We can’t help but feel so small because the distance between us and their success is monumental! Ex-FAANG prodigies, tired of earning $300K a year, started working four extra hours each day doing content creation and were able to quit their jobs in less than a year. Or maybe they just quit their jobs on the spot to start creating content, and they replaced their salary in six months. On the other side, there are normal people like you and me: an average developer who doesn’t even work for a FAANG company, who is introverted, who has challenges like taking care of a family with a single source of income, while balancing his marriage, health, and own sanity.
I’m not trying to discredit the work that those people put in to reach success — I’m sure it is admirable and many things can be learned from them. However, I can’t help but feel like most of their situations just don’t apply to me. Simply, the context of their life and mine is so different that much of their advice might not apply to me at all.
For this reason, I’m starting a blog myself! I want to show myself and the world that average introverted developers with family responsibilities can also participate in this success. If you want to witness whether I am able to achieve success and how I did it, or if I didn’t, why, follow along, read my posts, and discover every step of the way in my journey.
I will be documenting EVERYTHING, from learnings to challenges — the what, how, and why — in detail. I will be 100% honest and transparent about the process because I want YOU to see what a real blogging journey looks like for people like us.
Why Start a Blog When My Plate Is Full?
Yes! I can totally say that my plate is full. Actually I’m currently sitting on a rocking chair with my newborn baby swaddled on my chest writing this paragraph.
I’m taking parental leave from my current job and starting this at the same time, but my resolution for starting a blog is as strong as ever.
The reason is very simple.
In today’s economy, the tech market is tougher than ever. A couple of years ago, when the tech market was booming and the economy was strong, landing my current job was easy. I didn’t even have to apply — a recruiter contacted me, and I got the interview that way. But those days are over. Despite my professional experience, I haven’t had the same luck since. The market has shifted, and we have no idea when it will improve.
I won’t spend too much time discussing the state of the market, but in short, layoffs have oversaturated the industry. Only the top developers are landing jobs. The competition is fierce, and the only way to stand out is by building trust with companies and clients through a strong personal brand and reputation.
This is why I’ve turned to blogging and content creation as a way to share my value. I want to give people a clear view of my skills, build trust, grow my reputation, and expand my network. It’s a long-term strategy, but the potential rewards far outweigh those of simply cold-applying for jobs.
But, why blog if there are other ways to improve my network?
Good question — you’re right. There are plenty of ways to grow a network by sharing value, like contributing to open source, using social media, building useful tools, etc. However, I chose blogging for 6 solid reasons:
1. Teaching is the mother of learning
When blogging, I have the chance to document technical knowledge, which not only teaches others but also deepens my understanding. By teaching concepts, I reinforce them for myself while building a repository of technical documentation.
2. Improved communication skills
As an introvert and a non-native English speaker, I often struggle to articulate my ideas effectively. Writing helps me clarify my thoughts and deepen my understanding so I can explain them more easily. At the same time, covering these topics gives me more to contribute to conversations.
3. Contributing by connecting with others
While the technical knowledge I will share is valuable, I don’t just want to write about technical stuff — I also want to share the challenges I face, my failures, successes, etc. This gives me the chance to make others feel less alone in their struggles, something that is impossible to share with open source or creating an app, which is a rewarding way to contribute.
4. Building an audience for future opportunities
One of the biggest advantages of blogging is the potential to build an audience. If my posts are valuable, I can cultivate a group of engaged readers. Then, if I release a product or service in the future, I’ll benefit in two ways:
A) Instant feedback: I can ask my audience for their thoughts on an idea and get immediate feedback. If they don’t like it, I can pivot before wasting time; if they do like it, I’ll know it has potential.
B) Instant users: My audience, having gained trust in me through my contributions, can become immediate users of any product I release.
5. Increase job security
A successful blog can attract valuable connections, including recruiters, other software engineers, or anyone who might need your skills. As my network grows, so will opportunities, increasing my job security.
6. Chances of creating passive income
Last but not least, if the blog builds enough traffic, there are many ways to monetize the content. From ads, to affiliate links, sponsored posts, selling digital products (like e-books or courses), or even setting up a donation system via platforms like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee. The possibilities are endless!
Conclusion
While blogging will be challenging for a parent or introvert developer, the benefits are too good to be ignored. In my journey you will discover if an average developer that doesn’t really have much time like many others, and even being introverted, is able to achieve any kind of success.
Stay tuned for a down to earth blogging journey.