interview for Patrick Leigh Duffee

post/patrick-leigh-duffee-interview.md

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+---
+title: "Developer Interview: Patrick Leigh Duffee"
+date: "2023-02-15"
+category: "Interview"
+tags: design, development
+cover_image: "/img/blog/interview-patrick-leigh-duffee.png"
+author: "Patrick Leigh Duffee"
+author_image: "/img/blog/authors/joe-santos-garcia.png"
+author_link: "https://www.twitter.com/codingphase"
+---
+
+### Can you introduce yourself (name, location, age, etc..)?
+
+My name is Patrick Leigh Duffee. I'm 37 years old and I've lived in the Tampa area for a couple years now. I've gone through some big life changes and really threw out all my plans of what my future was turning into. Then got stuck in a rut of dead end jobs and working retail. I need a change, and after looking back on all the different things I've done, I know that learning coding and getting into the tech field is something I need to do for myself and my future.
+
+### How did you get interested in programming?
+
+I used to play around with modding games and editing the scripts of games like Jedi Outcast and and Starcraft. Everything from graphical mods to AI behaviors and spawning and weapon scripts. But it wasn't until I started toying with game engines like Unity that I really dipped my toes into programming. It felt good to see something I wrote out work in a game engine.
+
+### When did you start learning to code?
+
+I learned a little HTML in my high school computer class, but most of my learning came when the unity game engine came out and I started to teach myself some C# using tutorials online.
+
+### Where do you learn new skills?
+
+Most of my learning came from watching youtube tutorial videos or just trial and error. I'd download sample projects, edit values and tweak settings, then see what kind of outcomes that produced. If something broke, I would look up a solution online if I couldn't figure it out.
+
+### What do you love the most about programming?
+
+Being able to see a problem that I had work, and understand what I did to make it happen. That satisfying realization that I would have when I find out the computer is doing exactly what I told it to do, only to realize I wasn't telling it the right thing. But when I adjust what I'm asking it, the function runs as I had originally intended. Successful problem solving.
+
+### What do you hate about programming?
+
+Sometimes I find some of the syntax to be tedious. Every coding language has its pros and cons. There isn't a one size fits all, elegant solution. With greater flexibility, it can be tedious and time consuming to write things out. But languages and frameworks that reduce that tedium come with their own limitations and boxes you are sometimes forced into.
+
+### Are you currently working as a developer?
+
+Not yet. I'm working a retail day job, but this will be the last year!
+
+### What's your favorite stack or type of applications?
+
+I don't really feel like I have a great answer because I need to do more exploration. But so far, I am liking the basic HTML / CSS / Javascript stack. It has been simple and easy to get into. But with creativity and orginization, some fantastic things can be built with it and it's fun. I'm sure I'll eventually find another framework or language that really speaks to my style though.
+
+### What's a technology or language or skill you wish to learn in the future?
+
+Something involving large data sets and statistics. I feel like AI and utilizing large amounts of data will be vital in the future and its interesting to see how outcomes change based on a huge variety of factors that are difficult for people to process all at once. 
+
+### Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
+
+I feel like I want to be comfortable enough programming and coding that I won't just be an HTML email developer, but will instead be using coding as a tool to figure out some problem or issue that I want an answer to. Either building out an app or answering a question that is important to me. It seems to vague for a 5 year plan, so I am hoping it starts materializing into something more actionable quickly as I get into the field. I know I just have to stay hungry and not get too comfortable doing one thing for a long time.
+
+### If you were to go back into time and give yourself an advice to make it easier to learn to code what would you say?
+
+Do not stop. Do not hop from one thing to another. One hobby to another so often. Just stick with and build something up, then reevaluate. Wait until you've completed some work to move onto some other interest.