How to avoid becoming an API duct-taper with all these great tools already made?
With all the great tools, languages, and libraries around sometimes I feel like all I'm doing is duct-taping together APIs and libraries. (working on web apps) 

I know that all this work that's been done for me is a good thing. And I'm aware that I can build powerful and valuable things leveraging all of this stuff. But it makes my work a little more mechanical. It seems that everything I do has been done and I can just look it up on the web. It doesn't seem like I have to solve hard technical problems. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's easy. It's challenge to keep everything in my head. And getting it to work right can be a major pain. But sometimes it feels more like a cycle of looking-it-up-on-the-web and fiddling rather than deep thinking.

Now that I'm out of school, its up to me to make sure I don't fall into a rut and become obsolete. And most of the time web-app programming feels waaay easier that the stuff we did in our cs classes. How do I keep sharp and improve my ability to do really hard stuff?
How to avoid becoming an API duct-taper with all these great tools already made?
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With all the great tools, languages, and libraries around sometimes I feel like all I'm doing is duct-taping together APIs and libraries. (working on web apps) 

I know that all this work that's been done for me is a good thing. And I'm aware that I can build powerful and valuable things leveraging all of this stuff. But it makes my work a little more mechanical. It seems that everything I do has been done and I can just look it up on the web. It doesn't seem like I have to solve hard technical problems. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's easy. It's challenge to keep everything in my head. And getting it to work right can be a major pain. But sometimes it feels more like a cycle of looking-it-up-on-the-web and fiddling rather than deep thinking.

Now that I'm out of school, its up to me to make sure I don't fall into a rut and become obsolete. And most of the time web-app programming feels waaay easier that the stuff we did in our cs classes. How do I keep sharp and improve my ability to do really hard stuff?