Why I Stopped Stickerbombing, Mechanical Keyboards, and Distro Hopping

For a long time, I embraced many of the quirks of developer culture—stickerbombed laptops, loud mechanical keyboards, and constantly experimenting with new Linux distributions. But over time, I’ve moved away from these things, and I think it’s made me a better, more focused developer. Here’s why.

Stickerbombing: Less Is More

I used to love covering my laptop with all sorts of stickers. It was a way to showcase my favorite tools, libraries, and conferences. But now, I’ve stopped stickerbombing my laptops. I might add one or two stickers that I personally designed, but I prefer a cleaner, more minimalistic look. It’s a small change, but it’s made me feel more intentional about the space I work in. A clean laptop cover mirrors a clean mind, ready to focus on what matters most—writing great code.

Silence Over Clicks: Moving Away from Mechanical Keyboards

Mechanical keyboards have a special place in many developers’ hearts, and I get it—the tactile feedback, the satisfying click-clack sound, and the customizability are great. But for me, I’ve come to appreciate silence while I’m working. Switching back to a quieter keyboard has helped me concentrate better, without the constant distraction of keystroke sounds. It might seem like a small shift, but the change in ambiance has made a big difference in my workflow.

Distro Hopping: Finding Stability in Simplicity

I used to be a chronic distro hopper, always on the lookout for the next new thing. Every few days, I would find myself installing a different Linux distribution, hoping to discover the perfect setup. But these days, I stick to what works with as little maintenance as possible. It turns out, spending less time tinkering with my OS means I have more time for the things that really matter—like building projects and improving my coding skills.

Focus on What Matters: Writing Good Code

At the end of the day, the stickers on your laptop, the keyboard you use, or the OS you choose don’t matter nearly as much as the quality of the code you write. These days, my focus is on creating clean, maintainable, and efficient code. It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics or the latest trends in developer tools, but in the end, what really counts is your ability to solve problems through code.