𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗘𝗩 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀
I thought DEV challenges were about winning.
A few months ago, I joined DEV. I did not know many people. I believed a simple idea. I thought winning a challenge meant I was a real developer.
I kept participating. I built retro games. I earned badges. Every badge made me smile.
Then I realized something. The biggest prize was not the badge.
I asked myself a question. What happens after the contest ends? The badge stays on my profile. The project goes to GitHub. Then what?
I was focusing on the wrong thing. The real value was the community.
Without DEV, I would not discuss ideas with developers from around the world. I would not get feedback from people I admire. I would not meet developers with different ways of thinking.
The challenge was not just building software. The challenge was becoming part of a community.
Most developers talk only inside their companies. DEV is different. It gives you a place to show up, learn, and improve.
Building software is hard. But building a place where people find that software is much harder.
Someone built this platform. They created a stage where beginners and experts stand together.
My goal changed.
At first, I wanted to win. Now, I still want to create great projects. I still want to win. But that is not my main goal anymore.
I want to build things that matter after the contest ends.
If you are new to DEV, listen to this. If you are here to win, I understand. That was me too.
Do not overlook the community. People here encourage each other and grow together. A badge stays on your profile. The community stays with you.
I have one question for you.
How can we create more places where independent developers grow together?
Share your thoughts below.
Source: https://dev.to/sevasu77/what-i-learned-from-dev-challenges-about-winning-and-community-3j2g