Whether it is good or bad depends on the context. If your employer, team, or clients need something done but reinventing the wheel is consuming disproportionate resources, it's probably a bad thing.
On the other hand, if you're working on something as a hobby or something where you don't have the same constraints, then reinventing the wheel is a great way of learning. You can learn about things, how they work, and how they're designed, but unless you try to do it yourself, it's much harder to grasp why things are the way they are and not some other way.
Regardless of the context, it's important to make sure you limit the number of things you reinvent. Otherwise, you'll keep reinventing and never make any progress beyond what has already been done.
Comments
Whether it is good or bad depends on the context. If your employer, team, or clients need something done but reinventing the wheel is consuming disproportionate resources, it's probably a bad thing.
On the other hand, if you're working on something as a hobby or something where you don't have the same constraints, then reinventing the wheel is a great way of learning. You can learn about things, how they work, and how they're designed, but unless you try to do it yourself, it's much harder to grasp why things are the way they are and not some other way.
Regardless of the context, it's important to make sure you limit the number of things you reinvent. Otherwise, you'll keep reinventing and never make any progress beyond what has already been done.