Why Many Developers Want to Build Their Own Frameworks and Why It’s Often Unwise

The author recounts taking over a legacy project originally built by a highly regarded programmer who later abandoned it, describing the tangled architecture with multiple APIs, large data transfers compressed by GZIP, and extensive for‑loop processing that made the system fragile and hard to maintain.

He then explores why many developers are attracted to writing their own frameworks, noting that interviewers often ask about specific frameworks, scaffolding, routing, and related technologies, which fuels a desire to showcase personal “wheel‑building” skills.

However, the author argues that interviewers are really assessing problem‑solving ability and depth of understanding, not merely familiarity with a framework, and that creating a personal framework rarely improves one’s logical thinking or career prospects.

Writing a framework consumes most of the developer’s effort on repetitive tasks such as assembling functions, looping, and mapping data, offering limited technical value; the real benefit lies in studying open‑source frameworks to learn good design ideas.

He contrasts genuine frameworks like Spring Boot, which solve concrete development problems, with self‑made frameworks that exist “for the sake of a framework,” emphasizing that most popular components (MQ, middleware, etc.) arise from real needs rather than vanity.

In conclusion, the author encourages developers to focus on solving actual problems, mastering underlying concepts, and investing effort where the return is highest, noting that the era of engineers in China is emerging and promising.