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The author reflects on the internal conflict between coding for personal enjoyment and the pressure to pursue profit-driven projects. They recount past experiences that sparked their love for coding and how societal influences have fed their desire for success. As they mature, the focus is on finding a balance between passion and profitability to prevent burnout.

I just want to code

I have been coding since I was 12. Started on an Atari 800xl writing code in Basic with line numbers. 40 plus years later, I am still coding.
Over the years I have learned that coding is where my passion is. So at this stage in my career, I don’t want to get promoted, I want to code.
If I could pass off any wisdom, don’t chase the dollar when coding personal projects. As for work, I think of it as a place I get paid for my passion.

Replace coding with any other hobby: running, painting, public speaking, etc., and see if that opinion still holds.
You better make something useful to others (not be a greedy only profit-driven fool) with your hobbies if you want to live doing it everyday of your life.