§ 1. The Art of Custom Development

As I enter the 15th year of my professional journey, reflecting on my experiences feels both nostalgic and enlightening. I began my career in university as a Pascal programmer, creating textures for OpenGL. Over time, I delved into languages like C#, Objective-C, Swift, and Node.js. My career has afforded me the opportunity to work from both client and developer perspectives, giving me a comprehensive understanding of how to launch IT projects successfully.

When it comes to custom development, the most critical aspect is delivering a functional product. Ironically, the inner workings of these products are often understood solely by the developers who build them. Doesn’t this seem somewhat unreliable? We can clearly see the contributions of project managers and designers, but the work of programmers is often only evident through indirect indicators—whether the project functions as intended or crashes spectacularly with a 'blue screen of death.'

Many programmers liken the process of coding to an art form, and I concur. Much like contemporary art, understanding code requires a certain level of education and insight, especially if the code is written by a junior developer.

There’s a quote that resonates deeply with this notion:

“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”

This encapsulates the idea that custom development is indeed a form of art. It encompasses the visual elements crafted by designers, the functional components developed and tested by programmers, and the ability of a project manager to seamlessly integrate all these pieces into a cohesive final product delivered to the client.

My journey in this field is driven by the belief that development can be executed with higher quality and precision. Despite the passing years and numerous projects, the landscape has remained largely unchanged; the efforts of developers often do not translate into tangible results. This persistent challenge underscores the need for a refined approach to custom development—one that truly values and leverages the artistry and skill of all involved.