Dec 30 2025 Writing Toy Software Is A Joy - Article Recap

• Over 15 years of experience: The author reflects on extensive software development experience and how toy software brings back the joy of programming.
• What is toy software: Small, often playful projects not intended for production, but rather to experiment, learn, and have fun without external constraints.
• Lost craft and beauty: Much of the craft and beauty of programming is being lost due to commodification, industrialization of software, and rise of AI automation.
• AI threatens joy: AI tools automate many aspects once considered the "joyful" parts of coding, changing the nature of the craft.
• The 80:20 rule: Toy programs embody this principle—with just 20% of the effort, achieve 80% of functionality, freeing programmers from burdensome constraints of "real" projects.
• Freedom to explore: Toy projects allow developers to experiment, create, and remember why they enjoyed coding in the first place without production pressures.
• Not for external rewards: These projects are built for personal satisfaction, not client demands, business requirements, or career advancement.
• Sharpens skills: Despite being "just for fun," toy software practice helps developers sharpen their technical skills through experimentation.
• Community resonance: Developer communities echo this sentiment, sharing that building small, scrappy, non-production programs keeps them engaged and passionate.
• Staying creative: Writing toy software is a way to stay creative and remember what drew developers to programming originally.
• Low effort, high satisfaction: The process is fast and requires minimal effort, but still fosters meaningful learning and creative expression.
• Self-driven exploration: No deadlines, no stakeholders, no compromise—just pure exploration of ideas and technologies that interest you.
• Rejuvenating passion: Returning to the roots—writing code purely for fun—can rejuvenate one's passion for the craft after years of production work.
• Separate from pressure: These projects exist separate from the pressures of "serious" software development, providing a needed creative outlet.
• Fun and experimentation: The core value is fun, hands-on experimentation, and self-driven exploration without business constraints.
• Reconnecting with origins: Toy software helps developers reconnect with the reasons they became programmers, beyond just getting paid.
• Widespread feeling: Many programmers feel similarly—the joy of building something small and personal is a universal experience in the developer community.

The full article is available here.