> and your contribution to the code base only has meaning for the company, but is meaningless for yourself
An activity can have meaning in and of itself, and it's up to you whether you infuse something with meaning or not.
To me this is one of the themes of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance".
Concerning valuing code you write for others, do you value finishing a crossword puzzle or a game of cards? Those activities are of no use other than the joy of doing them. Programming can be the same way, and I believe whether it is like that has a lot to do with your inner state and how you approach it, regardless of whether you're doing it for a company or not.
An activity can have meaning in and of itself, and it's up to you whether you infuse something with meaning or not.
To me this is one of the themes of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance".
Concerning valuing code you write for others, do you value finishing a crossword puzzle or a game of cards? Those activities are of no use other than the joy of doing them. Programming can be the same way, and I believe whether it is like that has a lot to do with your inner state and how you approach it, regardless of whether you're doing it for a company or not.