Can a “DIY Mindset” Keep Programmers From Growing?
Health & Wellness • Software Development Career Advice
Programmers love to "do it ourselves", but this can make it harder to get help - when we actually need it.
Watch or listen to this episode
YOUTUBE
SPOTIFY
APPLE
Should You Do It Yourself? How Programmers Can Avoid the DIY Trap
As a programmer, it’s easy to fall into the DIY (do-it-yourself) mindset. We’re often tasked with solving problems that haven’t been tackled before, using little or no guidance. This self-sufficient attitude is great for productivity, but it can also backfire when you try to take on tasks far outside your core skill set.
In this post, I’ll share why it can be hard for developers to ask for help and five signs that it might be a bad idea to go it alone. By the end, you’ll have a better sense of when it’s time to DIY and when it’s time to get some help.
Why Programmers Struggle to Get Help
Individualized Education Sets the Stage
From an early age, we’re educated and measured individually. In school, we’re graded on our own work, and this continues into our careers. By the time you’ve entered the tech industry, this individual performance metric becomes ingrained. You start to feel like you need to do everything on your own, and asking for help can almost feel like cheating.
Corporate Reinforcement Keeps Us Solo
Corporations reinforce this mindset. When you’re hired, you’re evaluated as an individual. You get promoted or rewarded based on your own performance. It’s no surprise that, in these environments, it can feel unnatural to ask for help. You’re supposed to prove yourself, right? But this mindset can hinder your growth when you reach the limits of your own knowledge or skills.
Distracted by Gossip Over Substance
Another reason we avoid asking for help is the noise surrounding us online. We live in a culture of reaction videos and entertainment over substance. While it’s easy to get caught up in watching humorous content, it’s less common to seek out the expert advice you really need to move forward. This distraction can prevent you from reaching out to get help when you’re stuck.
And let’s not forget the fear of being judged. If you’ve ever seen someone attacked online for their views in a reaction video, it can make you more cautious about sharing your own struggles or seeking advice. We often stay silent, even when we know we need help.
Five Signs It’s a Bad Idea to DIY
Now that we’ve covered why it can be hard to ask for help, let’s talk about when it’s actually a bad idea to do things yourself. Here are five scenarios where you should think twice before going solo.
1. The Task Isn’t Something You’ll Do Often
One of the first signs that you shouldn’t do it yourself is if the task has low repeatability. Let me share a personal example: I bought a Fender tube amp for my guitar a while back. The electronics needed some work, and even though I could have taken it to a repair specialist, I decided to fix it myself.
It took me a ton of time, effort, and money to buy tools and learn how to repair it. Looking back, it would have been much cheaper and faster to hire an expert. And now I have tools that I’ll probably never use again. If you’re dealing with something you’ll only do once or twice, it might not be worth the investment in time or money to DIY. Consider hiring someone to do it for you.
2. The Task Is Outside Your Core Skill Set
If you’re trying to do something far outside your core expertise, that’s another red flag. As a developer, learning a new API or language is manageable because it’s in your wheelhouse. But if you suddenly find yourself tackling marketing, sales, or infrastructure, you’re in uncharted territory. Sure, you could learn it, but it’s going to take a lot of time, and there’s a good chance someone else could do it better and faster.
3. You’ve Failed Multiple Times
If you’ve already tried to solve a problem several times and still can’t get it right, it’s probably time to get help. Imagine you’ve been working on a feature, but after two or three attempts, you’re still stuck. At that point, continuing to try on your own might just lead to frustration and wasted time. Sometimes, asking for help is the quickest path to success.
4. You’re Procrastinating
Procrastination can also be a sign that you shouldn’t DIY. When I started creating YouTube videos and offering coaching, I noticed that I often spent more time on the tasks I was comfortable with—like writing JavaScript or designing webpages—rather than focusing on the areas that would really move my business forward, like marketing or sales.
If you find yourself procrastinating, it might be because the task is outside your expertise and you’re avoiding it. In this case, it’s likely a good idea to reach out to someone who knows what they’re doing and can help you make progress faster.
5. You Have Easy Access to an Expert
Finally, if you have easy access to an expert, why not take advantage of that? If a coworker is great at cloud infrastructure and you need to set up something on AWS but have never done it before, ask for their help! You’ll save time, avoid mistakes, and probably learn something in the process. The same goes for your career. If you have access to a coach or a mentor, don’t hesitate to ask for advice when you need it.
Balancing DIY and Asking for Help
As developers, we’re often encouraged to push through challenges and figure things out on our own. This DIY mindset is what helps us develop resilience and problem-solving skills, but it’s not always the best approach. There are times when doing it yourself will cost you more time, effort, and money than it’s worth.
Learning to recognize when it’s time to ask for help is an essential skill for your career development. If you’re stuck, procrastinating, or trying to do something outside your skill set, consider whether it’s worth it to go solo or if you should get help from someone more experienced.
So, the next time you’re faced with a decision between DIY and asking for help, do a quick cost-benefit analysis. Is it really worth doing it yourself, or would it be more efficient to reach out for support?
This isn’t about giving up control or admitting weakness—it’s about being smart with your time and resources. In a fast-moving field like tech, knowing when to ask for help is just as important as knowing how to code.
About the THRIVING TECHNOLOGIST show
On YouTube and all major podcast networks, Jayme shares teamwork and leadership strategies, guidelines for healthy company culture, and stories about real projects so you can have a sustainable career in the software industry.
Jayme Edwards
A family man and veteran of nearly 40 software projects, Jayme experienced many wins and losses over his career as an architect and consultant.
Now he's coaching software developers, managers, and business owners to overcome challenges in the IT industry - so they keep growing.