I am a copy and paste developer, how do I become a real software developer?

Last Updated: 02.07.2025 04:01

I am a copy and paste developer, how do I become a real software developer?

Just step back and learn the concepts again, but deeper.

Turn off the WiFi when you code. Yes, sometimes you need to look up for the docs, but the docs are not cheating. If you still need to turn on WiFi frequently, it's not that hard. Set a proxy wall in your device and block all the AI websites(e.g. chatgpt.com, v0.dev, etc.)

If you have an AI assistant installed, such as Cursor or Windsruf, or GithubCopilot, just uninstall it and use a plain editor like VSCode, NVim or even Jetbrains IDEs

Were the 1980s as uptight and prudish as movies and TV shows make them out to be? When I think of 80s culture, I think about a very "icky" judgmental yuppie status quo time period.

Instead of creating the app that's big, just build the same app but with fewer features and less complicated. This will give you a clearer understanding, and your big app will be much easier to code.