I Gave Up Codeforces to Build an Ecosystem↵
==================↵
↵
Around two years ago, I wrote my first blog, [**"Motivated Coder."**](https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/138526).↵
↵
I wrote about how Codeforces kept me motivated, helped me practice problem-solving, and became part of my daily routine.↵
↵
I am still coding today.↵
↵
But I spend much less time on Codeforces.↵
↵
So where did I go?↵
↵
First, who am I?↵
------------------↵
↵
Honestly, I am not really sure.↵
↵
A **Mobile Developer**?↵
↵
A **Game Developer**?↵
↵
A **Codeforces Expert**?↵
↵
A chess player, Go player, and guitar player?↵
↵
Maybe I am a little bit of everything.↵
↵
But they all have something in common.↵
↵
**I love exercising my mind.**↵
↵
I love looking at something I don't understand, trying different ideas, failing, and eventually finding a way forward.↵
↵
That is what I loved about Codeforces.↵
↵
I still remember my first **Accepted**.↵
↵
And I remember the **WA**, **TLE**, **MLE**, compile errors, and that familiar thought:↵
↵
_"How is this solution still wrong?!"_↵
↵
From programming to chess, Go, and puzzles, I eventually realised that I don't just enjoy games.↵
↵
**I enjoy thinking.**↵
↵
Second, why did I stop using Codeforces as my daily warm-up?↵
------------------↵
↵
In my previous blog, I wrote that I often solved a Codeforces problem before starting work.↵
↵
It was a great warm-up.↵
↵
But I had a problem.↵
↵
**I couldn't always stop.**↵
↵
I might plan to spend 30 minutes on one problem.↵
↵
Then I find an interesting one.↵
↵
I get stuck.↵
↵
I try another idea.↵
↵
Almost.↵
↵
**WA.**↵
↵
One hour becomes two.↵
↵
Two becomes three.↵
↵
And suddenly, the day is gone.↵
↵
The problem was never Codeforces.↵
↵
**The problem was that I enjoyed it too much.**↵
↵
So I had to stop using it as my daily warm-up.↵
↵
But I didn't stop solving problems.↵
↵
**I just started solving different ones.**↵
↵
Third, if we love something, why wait for someone else to build it?↵
------------------↵
↵
After years of programming and playing chess, Go, and other games, I started looking for something new.↵
↵
Games that make me think.↵
↵
Games that make me remember.↵
↵
Games that challenge me in a different way.↵
↵
Sometimes I had an idea for a game and searched for it.↵
↵
I couldn't find it.↵
↵
Eventually, I asked myself:↵
↵
**"If I keep waiting for someone else to make it, how long am I going to wait?"**↵
↵
So I stopped waiting.↵
↵
I decided to build it myself.↵
↵
Fourth, I didn't want to spend my life solving only Problem A↵
------------------↵
↵
After university, I started working as a Mobile Developer.↵
↵
The work was good. The jobs paid well.↵
↵
But sometimes, it felt like I was solving **Problem A** over and over again.↵
↵
There is nothing wrong with Problem A.↵
↵
I just wanted to try something where I didn't already know the answer.↵
↵
Something I could fail at.↵
↵
Something that was truly mine.↵
↵
So I went back to an old dream:↵
↵
**Making games.**↵
↵
At first, I only wanted to make games that I wanted to play.↵
↵
Then one game became another.↵
↵
And soon, the games needed accounts, leaderboards, downloads, patch notes, a website, a forum, and more.↵
↵
Instead of building each piece separately, I decided to connect them.↵
↵
That became **PromTGames**.↵
↵
An ecosystem where my games, stories, updates, and future projects can grow together.↵
↵
You can visit it here:↵
↵
[**promtgames.win**](https://promtgames.win)↵
↵
If you enjoy **math and programming**, try:↵
↵
[**Math Recall**](https://promtgames.win/mini-games/math-recall)↵
↵
If you are a **coder and a chess player**, try:↵
↵
[**How Knights Move!**](https://promtgames.win/mini-games/how-knights-move)↵
↵
Finally, I didn't really give up Codeforces↵
------------------↵
↵
The title is a little dramatic.↵
↵
I still love Codeforces.↵
↵
I just can't always afford to start a beautiful problem and disappear into it for four hours.↵
↵
These days, I spend more time solving problems of my own.↵
↵
Some take days.↵
↵
Some take months.↵
↵
Some don't even have a clear solution yet.↵
↵
But the feeling is still the same.↵
↵
You see a problem.↵
↵
You don't know the answer.↵
↵
You try.↵
↵
You fail.↵
↵
You think.↵
↵
You try again.↵
↵
And hopefully, one day:↵
↵
**Accepted.**↵
↵
Maybe that is why Codeforces will always be part of my story.↵
↵
It taught me something that I still carry with me:↵
↵
**When you don't know the answer, keep thinking.**↵
↵
So no, I didn't really give up Codeforces.↵
↵
**I just found a bigger problem to solve.**↵
↵
Thank you for reading.↵
↵
If you want to see more of the journey behind these projects, I have also started writing about it here:↵
↵
[**The Story Behind PromTGames**](https://promtgames.win/forum/dev_blog_001)↵
↵
And if there is something you have always wished existed but couldn't find anywhere...↵
↵
Maybe don't wait for someone else to build it.↵
↵
**Maybe it is your problem to solve.**
==================↵
↵
Around two years ago, I wrote my first blog, [**"Motivated Coder."**](https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/138526).↵
↵
I wrote about how Codeforces kept me motivated, helped me practice problem-solving, and became part of my daily routine.↵
↵
I am still coding today.↵
↵
But I spend much less time on Codeforces.↵
↵
So where did I go?↵
↵
First, who am I?↵
------------------↵
↵
Honestly, I am not really sure.↵
↵
A **Mobile Developer**?↵
↵
A **Game Developer**?↵
↵
A **Codeforces Expert**?↵
↵
A chess player, Go player, and guitar player?↵
↵
Maybe I am a little bit of everything.↵
↵
But they all have something in common.↵
↵
**I love exercising my mind.**↵
↵
I love looking at something I don't understand, trying different ideas, failing, and eventually finding a way forward.↵
↵
That is what I loved about Codeforces.↵
↵
I still remember my first **Accepted**.↵
↵
And I remember the **WA**, **TLE**, **MLE**, compile errors, and that familiar thought:↵
↵
_"How is this solution still wrong?!"_↵
↵
From programming to chess, Go, and puzzles, I eventually realised that I don't just enjoy games.↵
↵
**I enjoy thinking.**↵
↵
Second, why did I stop using Codeforces as my daily warm-up?↵
------------------↵
↵
In my previous blog, I wrote that I often solved a Codeforces problem before starting work.↵
↵
It was a great warm-up.↵
↵
But I had a problem.↵
↵
**I couldn't always stop.**↵
↵
I might plan to spend 30 minutes on one problem.↵
↵
Then I find an interesting one.↵
↵
I get stuck.↵
↵
I try another idea.↵
↵
Almost.↵
↵
**WA.**↵
↵
One hour becomes two.↵
↵
Two becomes three.↵
↵
And suddenly, the day is gone.↵
↵
The problem was never Codeforces.↵
↵
**The problem was that I enjoyed it too much.**↵
↵
So I had to stop using it as my daily warm-up.↵
↵
But I didn't stop solving problems.↵
↵
**I just started solving different ones.**↵
↵
Third, if we love something, why wait for someone else to build it?↵
------------------↵
↵
After years of programming and playing chess, Go, and other games, I started looking for something new.↵
↵
Games that make me think.↵
↵
Games that make me remember.↵
↵
Games that challenge me in a different way.↵
↵
Sometimes I had an idea for a game and searched for it.↵
↵
I couldn't find it.↵
↵
Eventually, I asked myself:↵
↵
**"If I keep waiting for someone else to make it, how long am I going to wait?"**↵
↵
So I stopped waiting.↵
↵
I decided to build it myself.↵
↵
Fourth, I didn't want to spend my life solving only Problem A↵
------------------↵
↵
After university, I started working as a Mobile Developer.↵
↵
The work was good. The jobs paid well.↵
↵
But sometimes, it felt like I was solving **Problem A** over and over again.↵
↵
There is nothing wrong with Problem A.↵
↵
I just wanted to try something where I didn't already know the answer.↵
↵
Something I could fail at.↵
↵
Something that was truly mine.↵
↵
So I went back to an old dream:↵
↵
**Making games.**↵
↵
At first, I only wanted to make games that I wanted to play.↵
↵
Then one game became another.↵
↵
And soon, the games needed accounts, leaderboards, downloads, patch notes, a website, a forum, and more.↵
↵
Instead of building each piece separately, I decided to connect them.↵
↵
That became **PromTGames**.↵
↵
An ecosystem where my games, stories, updates, and future projects can grow together.↵
↵
You can visit it here:↵
↵
[**promtgames.win**](https://promtgames.win)↵
↵
If you enjoy **math and programming**, try:↵
↵
[**Math Recall**](https://promtgames.win/mini-games/math-recall)↵
↵
If you are a **coder and a chess player**, try:↵
↵
[**How Knights Move!**](https://promtgames.win/mini-games/how-knights-move)↵
↵
Finally, I didn't really give up Codeforces↵
------------------↵
↵
The title is a little dramatic.↵
↵
I still love Codeforces.↵
↵
I just can't always afford to start a beautiful problem and disappear into it for four hours.↵
↵
These days, I spend more time solving problems of my own.↵
↵
Some take days.↵
↵
Some take months.↵
↵
Some don't even have a clear solution yet.↵
↵
But the feeling is still the same.↵
↵
You see a problem.↵
↵
You don't know the answer.↵
↵
You try.↵
↵
You fail.↵
↵
You think.↵
↵
You try again.↵
↵
And hopefully, one day:↵
↵
**Accepted.**↵
↵
Maybe that is why Codeforces will always be part of my story.↵
↵
It taught me something that I still carry with me:↵
↵
**When you don't know the answer, keep thinking.**↵
↵
So no, I didn't really give up Codeforces.↵
↵
**I just found a bigger problem to solve.**↵
↵
Thank you for reading.↵
↵
If you want to see more of the journey behind these projects, I have also started writing about it here:↵
↵
[**The Story Behind PromTGames**](https://promtgames.win/forum/dev_blog_001)↵
↵
And if there is something you have always wished existed but couldn't find anywhere...↵
↵
Maybe don't wait for someone else to build it.↵
↵
**Maybe it is your problem to solve.**
