Ok, we're using C++ in Leetcode...and that's it?

Feb 15, 2026

I learned C++ and… I barely use it.

Not because I dislike it. Actually, I like C++. I like how explicit it is. I like the control and freedom it gives me.

But if I’m being honest, my C++ usage today is basically:

LeetCode. And that’s it.

Meanwhile, languages like Python and Go somehow keep showing up in my real life.
Python is the “just get it done” language—scripts, automation, quick prototypes, random data tasks.
Go is the “this should be a service” language—clean tooling, simple deployment, straightforward concurrency.

C++? It’s the language I learned, but don’t naturally reach for.

Why this happens (I think)

There is no good package manager in C++. I used vc, cmake, pixie and more, nothing actually feels good or “native”. This result in a severe complexity cap on my projects, for someone like me that enjoys using new tools all the time I don’t really blame C++ as a language for that but I absolutely blame the committee tasked with maintaining it.

Counterpoint

Some folks could counter that C++ never needed a good manager “because it is a tool you need for speed, low latency, so most code will be code that you (or your company) wrote which is easy to import and use” and that might be true actually. But it still does not change my experience with the language. I am not a trader for a reason, not because I don’t want to make money but because I like playing with new tools, and C++ definitely does not make that easy for me.

The weird part

C++ is the one that took the most effort to learn, and the first language I learnt purely from books, rather than video tutorials. I am far from a professional, but I probably can have a good knack at it. Unfortunately, that could be why I treat it like it needs a “big reason” to exist.

And most days, I don’t have that big reason—so I default back to what’s convenient.

The point of this post

Right now, C++ is in this awkward spot for me:

I respect it
I understand it
I don’t use it

And I’m trying to change that—by making it show up in real projects, not just in algorithm land.

Because I didn’t learn C++ just to solve puzzles.

I learned it to build.