If you feel stuck in your tech career, your peers won't be the ones who help you rise above it.

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When I launched my first YouTube channel 8 years ago, I was called a sellout, a fake developer, and a grifter. And that was after I gave away hundreds of hours of content and coached over 300 developers for free. In their eyes, anything other than writing code made me a traitor to the craft.

Look, I've worked in software for 30 years. And I love the craft, too. But when I wanted more, I was confronted with a harsh truth: the developer community doesn't reward freedom. It rewards conformity. And just like the mafia, if you try to leave, they'll try to pull you back in.

And here's what makes this so sneaky: it doesn't always show up as direct attacks. Sometimes it's "jokes." Sometimes it's subtle shaming. Sometimes it's the unspoken rule that the only respectable path is: keep coding, keep climbing, keep collecting credibility—forever. If you step outside that script to learn sales, marketing, positioning, or consulting… you're "not a real dev."

(00:00:00) Welcome To Developer Reborn
(00:00:34) Developer Misery Loves Company
(00:02:00) Drama Queens of Tech
(00:03:51) The Rotten Carrot
(00:05:27) Unqualified Guides
(00:06:53) The "Lazy Developer" Trope
(00:08:36) The Certified Dabbler

Want to Build Your Consulting Offer?

Join me and other software professionals inside the 4-day Consulting Offer Workshop where you'll map your experience to business value, create a premium offer (at least $300/hr effective rate), and practice pitching it in a supportive group. Sign up at the link above.