Is it ok to stay in web development if you generally loathe the process and are only in it for the end result?
Does anyone else here face this dilemma?
There is a lot of busy work googling and finding code on Stackoverflow to solve some tedious problem. It's not exactly fun, and if I get stuck googling for a day or two on a single problem it's incredibly stressful.
Alternatively, I put on my research hat and see the source code and the tech stack as a series of questions and unknowns I have yet to figure out. Every piece of tech has a story of what the world was like before it, and that tech is the solution that was created to fill that need.
When I put on my research hat I slow down, and focus on learning everything around me inside and out, bit by bit. If I google vocabulary I'm unfamiliar with and end up on a Wikipedia page, this might lead to a handful of new questions. I recursively learn everything around me.
There is a middle ground between research and getting the product out the door. When this middle ground is found, not only is development accelerated, but work becomes smooth sailing. You become an expert in the tech around you, and if you learn it properly you only have to learn it once. After a few months of doing this you stop having to Google so much. You start being able to help others around you. The pressure of the goal stops becoming the obstacle and the challenge of writing code that minimizes future bugs and increases readability fades into the forefront.
Unless it's crunch time, being tightly focused on the end goal is one of the least productive and most painful ways to write software. There are better ways to go about being a software engineer that are at least worth considering.
E.g. music. Nobody* likes practicing. They like making music. The people who like (or find meaning in) making music enough will stick with it and grind out the hours so they can get the prize: the music itself.
(*) I mean sure, someone somewhere probably does
"Ok to stay"? It depends on what you're really asking, but I'm going to assume you mean, "If you were a close friend and cared about me and my future, what would you advise?"
If that's the question, my answer would depend on your other options. Most of a developer's time is spent developing, not admiring the result, so I would recommend doing something you like more overall (like both the process and the result), provided such an option is available. But then, if it were, I can't imagine you'd be asking. You'd do the obvious thing.
So maybe you're question really means, "I hate it but don't seem to have any better options. Will it get better?" In that case, I suspect it won't get better. If you actually do like the product but hate building it yourself, you might be a good candidate for marketing or sales. I've always loved programming, but I've worked with plenty of people who only did it because it was a "good job", and I've seen some of them switch to marketing or sales where they were much happier.
This is why work is work and it appears on all jobs so you might want to figure out how to change your mindset so you can deal with the never-ending tedium that comes with every job before you move on.
Having said that I will say that this type of situation happens in many fields. There are doctors that hate being doctors but love medicine, lawyers that hate being lawyers but love the law and on and on. What they end up doing is that they explore tangent fields that they like better. Some look at journalism and specialize in their field others go into management and still, others go into sales.
I think you should start exploring other fields. You might want to try project management, web design or maybe product manager. If you really have the discipline you might even start your own business.
The way I see it; life is too short to be stuck doing something you don't like.
Tedium means it's boring or dull. It is normal to have a fair amount of boring or dull tasks in programming. Ideally though, you can generally find at least some problem interesting and not totally dull because you are engaged in solving it.
I have found that it's much easier to be motivated about side projects. It's also easier to be motivated when there is something slightly challenging about your tasks.
Loathe is a strong word. I would say though that many programmers do hate their job sometimes. But if it's really a constant then that is basically torture.
I would try to find a side project you are interested in as a test. If you really hate the process entirely of a challenge that you created for yourself, the entire time, then that makes it sound like you are just abusing yourself.
Don't be quick to decide it's not for you though. Programming is definitely a job that requires patience and perseverance and sometimes boring tasks. Try to mix things up a bit by coming up with creative solutions. Maybe create a module or tool to help you accomplish a task that seems boring.
It's not necessarily the funnest career. For example, playing video games on YouTube is a job for some people now. Or filming Nerf gun battles. But solving problems is more rewarding than that stuff probably.
Plenty of exposure to the tech and instrumental to the end result without what you dislike about the practician.
When there's a miserable frustrating bug that comes and goes, it's not something I'm happy about (I, too, would prefer to get quickly to a working result), but it's something I'm used to dealing with and I'm willing and able to tackle. It doesn't keep me up at night. It doesn't make my stomach hurt.
On the other hand, a friend of mine is an excellent manager. Dealing with the kind of work inter-personal conflict that would cause me pain and sleepless nights is just a part of his job. He knows how to deal with it. He doesn't want it to happen, but fixing it is what he's good at.
And I've heard that even the best sales people are constantly dealing with rejection and failure to close a sale. It's just part of the job - if they've got a good enough batting average then they just don't beat themselves up about the one that got away.
I think there is an element of extrinsic motivation vs intrinsic motivation here.
Extrinsic motivation is where there is something external that is driving you to develop software (money, prestige or perhaps a finished product in this example)
Intrinsic motivation is where you motivated to develop software (or whatever) because you want to develop software (no external reasons)
Obviously there is always an element of both present, and there is nothing wrong with either type of motivation.
The thing to consider is that with extrinsic motivation, it changes. You might have to constantly remind yourself about the reasons, or the motivation may disappear entirely at stages.
With intrinsic motivation, your motivation doesn’t change much over time, and people who are motivated intrinsically to do their kind of work usually do well in their field with far less effort than others.
But even for those that are intrinsically motivated to code, there are always parts of it that are just pure toil.
Which is perhaps why some people start software development companies...?
I have heard of people who absolutely hated programming, but were extremely good at it and made great money, so they continued to do it. But they hated every minute and couldn't wait to get back home.
That doesn't sound like a fun existence to me, but I know honestly I am lucky to have a career as an SWE as something I love to do. Most people don't have that luxury. Most people are lucky if they have a job they can tolerate, let alone love. Many more have jobs they dislike, but they can do them well, and go home later to unwind.
So "is it ok"? Again - only you can answer that, but I would say for some people - maybe many - outside of SWE - would say that yes, it is ok to stay in a job you loathe.
For a novice it's common to feel a bit frustrated and lost. You however are simply bored by it, so I don't think that matters in this case.
Is there anything else (realistic) you'd prefer to be doing? Can you imagine yourself in some other position? Does it invoke happiness?
That's totally up to you to decide. If you think the results (and presumably compensation) are worth it and you are willing to grit your teeth and bear it, then you can do that.
It's also fine to feel it's worth it this year, then change your mind at some later date. Maybe you decide there's more to life or maybe you start grinding your teeth in your sleep because the process is so miserable and you decide you've finally had enough.
Things that are worthwhile usually involve some level of discomfort to make them happen. It's up to you to decide which things are worth which personal costs.
But the way I see it, the pain is a necessary part of getting there. The only way you can stand out is to go through more of it.
Is it really a bad thing? Like exercise, it hurts, but it's really just up to us to not take it personally.
The pain isn't there to discourage us. It's there as a warning. It's up to us to learn how much of it we can safely ignore and push through, and when we should be taking a rest.
Some programmers (like my self) enjoy the act of programming and lose sight of the end goal.
Ideally when making an app or website you want to code as little as possible, whilest leaving it open for extension.
Your distain for the software development process would actually motivate you to iterate on products faster and choose better ways to develop faster...
If you get any good at it, the process may actually grow on you. In order to build something complex, you need strategies to manage the complexity. Discipline to use naming conventions, etc. All the things that programmers universally do -- because it actually makes life easier.
Everything has things about it that suck, after all. The question is do you love it as a whole, not do you love every aspect of it.
I honestly think that Sturgeon's law (80% of everything is crap) is more true than false. It's just a variation of the 80/20 rule in computer science.
Good advice from other posters here, I found myself repeating it so I'll keep it short.
Enjoy work if possible. Find happiness.