Why Your First Program Will Suck and Why That’s Flawsome(your Flawed Awesomeness)

If you’re a software developer, entrepreneur, or just someone venturing into building something for the first time, you’ve likely heard the phrase: "Your first program will suck."

It’s blunt, but profoundly true—and incredibly liberating. Here’s why embracing the "suck" is not only okay but essential to your success.

1. It’s Supposed to Suck

No one writes world-changing software, engineers a bridge, or creates a company perfectly on their first try. The first thing you build—be it an app, product, or service—is more about learning than launching a masterpiece.

Think of it as a rough draft of a novel or the first sketch of a painting. It’s messy, awkward, and probably inefficient. And that’s fine. The goal isn’t perfection; the goal is to start.

Here’s a secret: When you start, you’re already ahead of 50% of your potential competition. The hardest step is the first one.

2. Sucking Is Part of the Process

When I wrote my first app in grade 10, it calculated the probability of rolling two sixes on dice. It used a punch card reader and printed results on paper tape. Did it work perfectly? Absolutely not. But that little program taught me more about programming (and perseverance) than any textbook.

You will make mistakes—lots of them.

• Poorly structured code? Check.
• Features no one wants? Definitely.
• A user interface that makes people cringe? You bet.

Here’s the thing: Each mistake teaches you more than any course or tutorial ever could. Mistakes are milestones, not roadblocks. Every coder you admire started with code that sucked. It’s not a flaw; it’s a rite of passage.

I call it being “Flawsome”—flawed, yet awesome. Embrace it.

3. Feedback Fuels Growth

Your first version isn’t about impressing anyone; it’s about learning. Show your work to others, and let their feedback guide you.

• That clunky UI? Users will tell you why it’s confusing.
• That buggy feature? Someone will point it out (kindly, hopefully).

Criticism isn’t your enemy; apathy is. If someone takes the time to critique your work, it means they care. Take their insights, improve, and keep moving forward. Remember: Your critics are your best friends—they’re the ones who tell you, “You suck... for now.”

4. Momentum Matters More Than Perfection

Too often, we’re paralyzed by the idea of creating something “perfect.” Newsflash: Perfect doesn’t exist. What does exist is momentum.

Shipping a "sucky" first version means you’ve started—and starting is the hardest part. Software can evolve. Version 1.0 is just the beginning. Version 1.1, 2.0, and beyond are where the magic happens.

(Does anyone remember Microsoft Windows 1.0? It was laughable. Windows 3.1, on the other hand? Game-changer.)

5. Progress Beats Pride

Let go of your ego. Your first program probably won’t win awards or make you a millionaire. That’s okay. The point is to learn, grow, and create. Progress—not pride—should drive you.

Why It Doesn’t Matter

Your first program isn’t your legacy; it’s your launchpad. The sooner you fail, the sooner you’ll get to your second, third, and fourth projects—each one better than the last.

Here’s my track record of firsts (spoiler: they sucked):

• Grade 10 (year withheld to protect the innocent): I mislabeled punch cards on my probability program. It caused runtime errors and required reloading the cards.
• University (1992): I wrote a scheduling app that only scheduled events on Tuesdays.
• 1996: My first commercial app ran great... for 10 minutes. Then it ran out of memory and crashed spectacularly.
• First dot-com job (2000): I accidentally pointed our CRM product at our own email server, causing a recursive loop that took down our company email for hours. (we were an email CRM company!)

Mistakes happen. What matters is how you learn from them.

A Call to Action

If you’re sitting on the sidelines, afraid your first program will "suck," here’s my advice:

• Write bad code.
• Build the ugly app.
• Make mistakes.

And then, learn. One day, you’ll look back at that "sucky" first project and realize it was the most important thing you ever created.

So, the next time you’re asked in an interview about your failures, confidently say: "Oh, yes, and boy, did they suck", (and hand them your list of flawsome!!!)."

Now get writing. (Pro tip: Avoid building 911 apps until you no longer suck.)