i don't really know how to articulate this but gamedev programmers are on an entire other level to non-games programmers repeatedly needing to solve problems that have never existed before, because the world you're creating them in has never existed changes you as a person

If building something great isn’t painful, you’re probably not building the best you can. Arguments, mis-steps, fights, back-tracking, re-discovering, frustration, throwing it away, trying again - these are all painful requirements for build a great product.

How real life compares to video games (from r/showerthoughts):