Learning Through Public Failures

Or: "How I almost had a nervous breakdown building out a stupid goddamn web application not two steps beyond a standard CRUD App"

Writing this post was like pulling teeth. But it must be done.

One of the things about "learning publicly" is that you learn from your failures. This means I get to write about the good-intentioned idea that didn't work out the way I planned it to. Behold: the PasteBin project.

The Initial Excitement: A New Project Begins

I knew I had to start building web apps again if I wanted to get back into web development. I also knew I had been gone from the scene for about three years. The tech world doesn't stand still, and I was eager to catch up with all the new tools and frameworks I'd been hearing about.

My goal was simple: take Pastebin—a website where you can quickly share snippets of text or code with others by pasting them into a form and getting a unique link to share—and make a clone website to learn new technologies and programming concepts.

I had a clear list of features in mind, and I was ready to dive in, armed with a mix of familiar and new technologies.

Mounting Challenges: When Reality Hits

Even before I really started the project, there were some challenges I probably could have at least addressed beforehand:

1. Technical challenges: The learning curve for new technologies and integration complexity was steeper than expected.

2. Resource Constraints: Time management issues and fluctuating motivation became recurring themes.

3. External Factors: My casual shifting in career interests added an extra layer of complexity. I questioned whether I should be spending time on these projects at all.

As I started working on the project, things began smoothly enough. I managed to create a site that lets a user paste some content into it and submit the content to a database. But as I progressed, the challenges began to multiply.

The Breaking Point: A Moment of Clarity

I remember the exact moment I officially gave up: I was staying up late, realizing I forgot to add a dropdown to a box. What should have been a simple task turned into a frustrating ordeal due to my unfamiliarity with the new libraries and frameworks I was using.

And then it hit me: every new challenge would pile on top of this one.

Complexity breeds more complexity.

Zooming out, I realized that in tech, there's no finish line. It's a never-ending race to keep up, constantly cramming new information to reach a baseline that keeps moving.

Meanwhile, I was still struggling with the basics.

This realization was a tough pill to swallow, and it made me question everything about my approach and goals.

Reflection: Understanding What Went Wrong

Looking back -- and thanks to some well-placed ChatGPT prompts -- I can identify several root causes for the project's setbacks:

1. Failure to complete core minimum functionality

2. Motivation issues competing with other interests

3. Technical tasks taking longer than anticipated

4. "Death by a thousand cuts" from introducing too many new technologies

5. Scope creep and moving goalposts

6. Project duration exceeding initial estimates

The impact was significant. My ego took a big hit, and I felt a sharp erosion of personal confidence and motivation. I also couldn't think about the opportunity cost of time spent struggling with this project.

Because you wasted enough of your life already, a whisper tells me. "Not now," I say out loud.

Lessons Learned: Turning Failure into Growth

Despite the frustrations, this experience provided valuable insights for future improvements:

1. Set clearer, more realistic goals and timelines

2. Limit new technologies introduced simultaneously

3. Implement structured learning plans for unfamiliar technologies

4. Use productivity techniques (e.g., Pomodoro) consistently

5. Set up accountability measures

6. Allocate specific time for learning vs. implementation

Conclusion: Embracing the Learning Process

So, this particular foray into project-based learning was kind of a massive dud. But hey, these are what we call "learning moments." It provided valuable insights for future improvements in project planning, time management, and skill development.

Now, it's time to work on something just a little more gentle. But more importantly, it's time to take these lessons and apply them to whatever comes next, whether it's in tech or any other field. After all, the ability to learn from our failures is a skill that transcends any specific industry or project.

What about you? Have you ever had a project that didn't go as planned? How did you handle it, and what did you learn? I'd love to hear your stories and insights.