I Gave Up Codeforces to Build an Ecosystem
Around two years ago, I wrote my first blog, "Motivated Coder.".
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:
If you enjoy math and programming, try:
If you are a coder and a chess player, try:
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:
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.
