We're also never building the same software (or at least very rarely). The industry is such that we're always trying to invent something new, something that hasn't been done before.
If you build the same (or near same) piece of software 100 times, you can know almost exactly how long it'll take and you can do it quickly, same as if you were building 100 buildings. But we don't do that, because you build software once then just copy it 100 times.
You only build software if you're making something new that hasn't been made before.
Yeah SDWebImage is one of my favourites of the others too. If we'd stumbled onto it earlier we might have ended up using it.
Though ultimately it turned out well to just build the bare basics and only add on little bits as needed. We ended up with something very slim and maintainable, and haven't yet felt like we're missing out on features.
The mistake a lot of people make is thinking they're on holiday. Just because you're travelling, doesn't mean it's a holiday.
If you've got a job to do, do it. Don't go wandering around exploring the city for half the day, or lie on the beach chatting with backpackers. No. Sit at your desk and do your job.
Once you've done your work, in your properly setup work environment, then go explore your new and exciting surroundings.
Then get to bed on time, and work a proper day the next day.
Whenever I see people in hostels, lazing back on couches, tapping away on a laptop and saying they're a digital nomad, what I see is someone who's not serious. They won't last.
If you build the same (or near same) piece of software 100 times, you can know almost exactly how long it'll take and you can do it quickly, same as if you were building 100 buildings. But we don't do that, because you build software once then just copy it 100 times.
You only build software if you're making something new that hasn't been made before.