The leetcode comfort trap

Source: Dev.to

The Comfort Loop

Solving 2–3 LeetCode problems and going to sleep feeling accomplished is the same dopamine loop as hitting the gym, training hard, and going home for a nice sleep. It feels productive, but it’s safe.

You’re grinding in a sandbox where failure has the weight of a feather. You spend three hours “deeply thinking” about an O(n \log n) solution, close the tab, and the universe remains unchanged.

That’s not engineering; that’s paper trading.

It’s easy to feel like a genius when the constraints are pre‑defined and the “End” button is always in reach.

Real Difficulty is Sustained Pressure

LeetCode isn’t bad—it’s a sharp tool, a necessary warm‑up. But if you’re settling for green checkmarks, you’re rotting in your comfort zone. Real growth happens when:

• You face problems with sustained pressure rather than isolated puzzles.
• You work on projects where failure has real consequences.
• You apply concepts in messy, imperfect environments.

The Verdict

LeetCode is the gym; it is not the sport. Use it to sharpen your blade, but don’t spend your life polishing the metal while the monsters are outside the door. If your practice feels flat, move to something heavier. If the project scares you, you’re finally aiming right.

I can tell you this with respect because I’m currently in the trenches—grinding on a real project while managing LeetCode side by side.