Unmasking the 'Shiny Object Syndrome' in Tech: A Developer's Journey
Tags: webdev, beginners, productivity, discuss
Published: 2023-05-21 08:14:08

## Introduction

In my journey as a developer, I fell into the seductive trap of 'shiny object syndrome'. I found myself drawn towards tools and technologies that were considered advanced or novel. My adventures with Nix, NixOS, Neovim, Haskell, and even a Kinesis keyboard seemed exciting and challenging. Yet, in retrospect, they were a diversion from my main path - mastering web development.

![distracted boyfriend meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zirpjckpkbmtzspt09b8.jpg)

## The Allure of the Shiny and the Eternal Student Trap

Being in the midst of a web development boot camp, my primary goal should have been to master technologies like React and NodeJS. However, in our rapidly evolving tech landscape, there are always new tools, frameworks, or languages that seem to promise a revolution in our coding prowess. These advanced resources, alluring as they are, suggest the chance to catapult our abilities or streamline our workflows.

Yet, what started as an innocent pursuit of efficiency quickly turned into a significant detour from my path. As a bootcamp student, my time should have been laser-focused on honing the skills I'd need for my web development career. However, I found myself ensnared by the siren call of these shiny new tools – obsessively distro-hopping, spending countless hours configuring Neovim, and delving into the intricacies of NixOS.

I rationalized this detour by telling myself, "I'm learning something new, right? This will surely benefit me in the long run." But the real cost lay in the diversion of focus. The endless cycle of learning and mastering new tools led me to a place I now refer to as 'Configuration Hell'. While I was indeed learning, I was drifting further away from the core competencies I needed to master for my career path - React and NodeJS.

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This detour led me to an even more alarming realization: I had fallen into the trap of becoming an 'eternal bootcamp student.' I was repeating terms, constantly learning, but not progressing in the direction I needed to go. My relentless pursuit of the shiny had led me away from the very skills I enrolled in the bootcamp to learn.

## Back to the Basics

I realized my error when I switched back to Kubuntu, paired with VSCode. It was like a breath of fresh air. With this simple, minimal setup, I was back on track, focusing on web development. The irony? VSCode, a tool I had abandoned in pursuit of 'advanced' options, had evolved leaps and bounds, offering a development experience far superior to what I had known before.

<img width="100%" style="width:100%" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/lRe7COziQMFjMcIkyF/giphy.gif">

The truth is, the time and effort I invested in mastering tools like Neovim could have been better used in actually writing code, building projects, and mastering the editor alongside. A less shiny, but certainly more productive path.

My journey isn't unique, and I believe many of you have experienced or are experiencing something similar. It's essential to remember that tools are just that - tools. They're means to an end, not the end itself. They can enhance our skills, but they cannot substitute for the core skills we need to master as developers.

## The Winding Learning Curve

This introspective journey of mine began with a rather surprising exchange: a brief conversation with ChatGPT, an AI model from OpenAI. It might seem strange, even comical, but this AI, known for its uncanny ability to generate human-like text, facilitated a deep and insightful exploration of my journey in tech.

We navigated through the choices I had made, the allure of the shiny new tools I couldn't resist, and the consequent diversion from my main learning path. ChatGPT acted as a reflective surface, presenting a vivid image of my professional growth, highlighting its diversions and diversities.

The interaction brought a critical realization: the learning curve in tech is not merely steep; it's winding, unexpected, and full of captivating distractions. As developers, the continuous cycle of adaptation, learning, and unlearning is inherent to our careers. But amidst the whirlwind, maintaining focus on the skills that align with our goals is vital.

<img width="100%" style="width:100%" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xUPGcM9CazM9H5KrEA/giphy.gif">

The latest shiny frameworks and paradigms will always try to pull us off our path, but it's our responsibility to stay rooted to our learning objectives. This peculiar conversation, as unexpected as it was, reinforced this pivotal understanding.

## Conclusion: Let's Talk

I'm sharing my journey not as a cautionary tale, but as a conversation starter. Let's discuss the importance of focus in our fast-evolving field, the allure of shiny object syndrome, and how we can support each other in avoiding unnecessary detours.

Did you ever fall into similar traps? How did you find your way back? What strategies do you use to keep your learning focused? I would love to hear your experiences and insights. Your story might be just what someone else needs to hear to navigate their path more effectively.

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