Can you become a developer on a team with no devs?
Tags: codenewbie, juniordev, womenwhocode, careeradvice
Published: 2020-04-26 17:31:26

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title: Can you become a developer on a team with no devs?
published: true
description: 
tags: #codenewbie #juniordev #womenwhocode #careeradvice
cover_image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1585076641399-5c06d1b3365f
---
Is it possible to become a developer on a team with no devs? To create a role for yourself in a company that normally outsources their development work? On top of this - what defines a 'developer'? It may be imposter syndrome, or the fact that I've never actually had a job title as a developer that makes me wonder all these things - but then again, does a title define who you are? 

I ask these questions because it's the current situation I am in. I work in e-commerce as a digital marketing specialist for a startup I love, with core values I believe in. We're a small team, starting to expand and up to date our app and web development has been outsourced. But just because that's what has been done, doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity... right? 

Let me explain a bit more.. 

## The 'role' at a startup
If you've worked at a startup before you know that the job description doesn't define your responsibilities. That's actually what I love about startups. You have the ability to touch all areas of the business, learn what you love and don't love, be creative and really create your role the way you want it to be. And because I've been transparent from the very start, sharing my passion for code, my technical skills and my career goals I've been lucky to immediately be thrown into owning the website more heavily than other team members. This includes any front-end changes, building responsive landing pages, collaborating with the existing outsourced web developer, A/B testing, customization etc. I am coding everyday, although it's mainly HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and isn't really to the extent of what I want to be working on, it's a step closer - so I am grateful.  

## The transition - is it doable?
I feel like I've been doing everything right. Taking on more of the responsibilities I'm interested in, being transparent and open, and continuing my learning on the side (or as much as I am able to during these trying times 🙃). To add on to this, I've kept open communication with my manager about transitioning into a web developer role. But, is this really doable? 

My questions are:
- How do you become a developer without a dev team? Especially as a junior where mentorship is an important factor.
- What will I work on? Does working mainly on a Shopify site, editing themes, coding in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Liquid qualify me as a developer? Would I be one? Am I already one? 
- Is this a good first step into my career change? 
- How can I ensure I get the most out of this opportunity? Or is this an opportunity worth pushing for? 

I've read somewhere a while ago that you should take every opportunity that you're faced with, as you'll never know what it could be unless you try. So I'm moving forward with that in mind - there may be no actual team right now, but we are rapidly growing, and who knows what will come in the future? 

I'd love to hear any thoughts! If you've been in a similar situation, or your outlook in general? What defines a developer? Can I really become a developer in a team with no devs? 

Feel free to comment below, or connect with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/heysarahpaz) - DM's are open! 

Thanks in advance!