to JS Engineers who want to stand out
There’s ONLY one skill you need to master to stand out in the current software engineering market. (pls keep this in mind for your next promotion talk or technical interview) Given that competition…
Jun 2, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
100 million tokens. 5 truths.
We spent around 100 million tokens in the last few weeks. Mainly with Claude Code, but also others (Kimi, etc). Here’s what we found out: 1. AI can help you ship faster. But not always better. We…
May 27, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
AI skeptic
I am still an AI skeptic. But, no matter what your opinion on AI coding is... You should still work with it if you want to have a job 3 years from now. Nope, developers are not getting replaced. Not…
May 21, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
the worst way to code
Claude Code is destroying your developer career, and you know it. Because the more you use it. The less you use your brain. And the worse you become as a developer. Last weekend I was visiting one of…
May 14, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
No iPhone. No food.
It’s estimated that 1 in 3 developers has been laid offin the last 2 years. At the same time, 36% of employees in the USA say they won’t be able to afford food within a month if they lost their job.…
Apr 30, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
critical updates: dev job market
Something very weird is going on in the dev job market. On one side, companies are asking for developers who are " AI-fluent". Who use Claude, Cursor, or Copilot on a daily basis. As a "velocity…
Apr 16, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
the sky is falling… again
I just got back from Easter break and opened my email inbox. It looks like the “sky is falling”. Again. War. Inflation. Layoffs. AI is taking your developer job. Well, guess what, the world has been…
Apr 8, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
30 seconds to Senior
In March, it’s been 12 years since I got my first job as a programmer. I was building scrapers with Python for our SEO team. Today, a decade later, I am still coding. And the worst part? I don’t feel…
Mar 31, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
dev job market getting better?
Hey folks, Great news! It seems like the developer job market is getting better. In this figure, software developer job postings in the UKfor last year: And this one sofware dev job postings in…
Feb 3, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
AI won’t take your dev job (unless you let it)
Just got off the phone with a Senior dev with 10 years of experience. He got fired a few weeks ago. The reason? Management replaced him with a Junior dev using Claude Code. They felt their output was…
Jan 21, 2026·Dragos Nedelcu
goodbye for now
Hey folks, I just wanted to wish you all Happy Winter Holidays and a Happy New Year! Bogdan and I will see you next year! Thank you for being part of this community... Your success gives purpose to…
Dec 22, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
am I a Senior yet?
So many of you ask me: “Dragos, when do I know I'm a Senior dev?” Is it my title? Or my salary? Well, you probably know developers who have a Senior title… But in reality they are still Juniors! And…
Dec 17, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
2026 predictions for SE engineers
Here’s what you can expect from 2026 as a software engineer: * The 2026 tech job market will still feel stuck…But will slowly get better. * The number of developers who can’t code because they rely…
Dec 9, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
technical interview shame
Want to know the worst part of falling a technical interview was for me? It wasn’t losing the opportunity… Or the job offer. Or the technical knowledge I missed. I knew I could fix that. The worst…
Nov 18, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
you can’t automate this, bro’
What’s the hardest problem in software development? Is it the coding? Is it the tools and the frameworks? Well, let’s assume you are a genius coder… You know all the programming languages in the…
Nov 11, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
the best of everything
Every developer I talk to asks me the same question these days… “What’s the best thing to do?” The best country to move to? The best company to work for? The best tech stack? Or worse… The best AI…
Nov 7, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
take a break
What’s the most read article on our blog? It’s not a “Senior roadmap”. Not one about the “fundamentals”. Our most read article in the last 12 months is about developer burnout. It shouldn’t surprise…
Oct 29, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
fake Senior devs, Juniors loosing passion
Hi folks, Let’s start with the news: 1. The job market is flooded with “fake Senior devs” A friend of mine is an engineering manager. She told me despite people complaining about the market being…
Oct 21, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
Senior in 2025 = less things, more mastery
Over the last 3 years, I've talked to 1500+ JavaScript engineers worldwide. They all have one thing in common. Their to-do lists are full… 7 courses, 5 side-projects and infinite interview prep…
Oct 14, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
Mental models from Senior Devs
Here’s a secret tip Bogdan and I learned after mentoring helping 350+ JS devs get to Senior level… This simple principle is so powerful that… When we plug it in with our students… They instantly…
Sep 10, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
how Senior Devs code with
Hey there, Bogdan and I are back from our mini holiday! What a better topic to talk about than coding with AI. YouTube is full of influencers promising that AI you will make you up to 100x faster…
Sep 4, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
we turned away 3 devs last week
We turned away 3 developers last week. They wanted in. They had the money. Yet Bogdan and I said no. Why? They all came from different countries, different backgrounds… But shared one thing: A poor…
Aug 20, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
don’t forget your strategy
Let’s answer some of your most pressing questions: By importance” 1. What the heck is happening to the dev job market? Well Sherlock… * The global economy slowed down (war, high interest rates, etc).…
Jul 9, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
walking, but on eggshells
Half of 2025 is gone. Whatever you plan to achieve this year… You’ve got only the next 6 months to get it done. If you are a JavaScript Dev looking to get to Senior, here are 3 things to keep in…
Jun 27, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
I was scared to open Jira every morning
Do you know that feeling? Is like carrying the world on your shoulders. While collapse seems inevitable. You sleepwalk through Jira tickets. Freeze in technical interviews. And second-guess yourself…
Jun 11, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
He Took a Year Off… Then Landed a $180K Job in NYC
Here’s the deal. I just got back from Spain. Sun, wine, and no laptop for two weeks. Then Bogdan hit me with this: “Bro, we’ve only got 5 spots this month.” Two are already booked — people from the…
Jun 4, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
10x developers in 2025 do this
Here is one simple trick that will help you become 10x the developer you are now. It is not some crazy AI coding tool. Or a fancy design pattern. It is also not easy to do. Actually, it is probably…
May 12, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
“vibe coding” is cool, but not the future
For the last couple of weeks I got back to my code editor. But instead of VS Code I installed Cursor. Added Claude 3.7 to it. And started “vibe coding”. The challenge was simple. I wanted to build a…
Apr 11, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
TypeScript moves to Go, "vibe coding" takes over the web
Helloouuu, This is week 11 of 2025 and here’s what’s been going on: 1. Microsoft Ports TypeScript to Go and make it 10x more performant This is very good news for JavaScript devs… For starters,…
Mar 14, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
what you get tomorrow, you plant today
To my dear subscriber, Happy Friday! Despite everything you read online… The world is not going to hell! AI is not going to replace programmers. The software industry is not going to collapse. Being…
Mar 7, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
to the developer afraid of Claude 3.7
“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” - Steve Jobs We live in interesting times. Software development as we know it is about 50 years old. Modern medicine is 200-300…
Feb 28, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
why nobody is hiring software developers (and what to do about it)
What the heck is going on in software engineering right now? 100 applicants per developer job posting… In less than 2 to 3 hours. Insane technical interviews with endless stages. When you finally get…
Feb 21, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
how to make life awesome (code, run, fly)
Today we are going to talk about 2 very important things in 2025. Number one, how it is crucial to get the hell away from your computer… And do some crazy new things! Like walk into a new part of the…
Feb 6, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
I'm back! (2025 is gonna be AWESOME)
Disclaimer: This email has been entirely written by your one and only… Dragos Nedelcu, self proclaimed editor in chief of this newsletter (not like most of the crap you are forced to read these…
Jan 16, 2025·Dragos Nedelcu
bye, bye mwuahaha (for now)
Just a quick note thanking you for being a subscriber this year ❤️ I wish you the best for you and your family during these holidays! See you in 2025 with more on how to become the best developer you…
Dec 26, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
"you are just not Senior material"
I still remember that day. Sitting in my manager’s office. Palms sweating. Heart pounding. Months before, I spent months working extra. Doing whatever I could to prove my worth. His answer was still…
Oct 31, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
developer or engineer? that is the question
Happy Friday! Wherever you are reading this from, I hope you are having a fantastic start to the day! I am enjoying my second expresso while writing this, so it’s gonna be a quick one… Wednesday was…
Oct 18, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
success
There’s a special feeling you get when you figure things out. When you have that developer job you love and when you are growing your skills all while making good money. Not worried about tomorrow.…
Sep 26, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
principles
Happy Friday, ladies and gentlemen! You know, I was sitting on the sofa thinking… What the heck should I write you about? Sure, I could talk about AI, the job market, or the future of the JavaScript…
Aug 30, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
What you can with what you've got
I hope your Friday went by smoothly! Despite the trillions of course, articles and videos on the internet on how to become a better software engineer…. There are only 3 things you need to get to…
Aug 2, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
keep your head up
Hey there, Today, I wanted to talk about a very toxic message I see online. Which is that “Junior Developers are deprecated”. Or “dead,” as one article likes to put it (link in the PS). Many people…
Jul 26, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
impostor syndrome
“Fake it till you make it” is terrible advice. Why? Because you can’t fight your brain, ask anyone who can’t stick to a diet. It took me a while to understand this. But I’ve never struggled with…
Jun 14, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
harsh truths and updates
Hey there, First of all, I've published a new article you might like, 4 harsh truths that will make you a better developer.…
May 28, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
free Q&A call with Bogdan and Dragos
Just letting you know Bogdan and I will be holding a free Q&A call tomorrow at 7 pm CET. If you have questions about how the market is doing right now, what you should work on to get to the next…
May 14, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
late email... is AI kinda useless?
"AI is too expensive to replace humans in jobs right now, MIT study finds." I woke up reading this headline today. This is MIT saying hey, you know that the AI thing you are building is not that…
May 13, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the pain of change
Do you know the biggest problem of the developers we work with? That they didn’t come to us earlier! It goes something like this… “Yes, I’ve been following you for a while, and I thought about doing…
May 10, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
question for you
Hellou, hope ya doing well :) Wondering, what do YOU want me to write more about? Just reply to this email and let me know; I will answer all emails. Chauuu Unsubscribe here (Warning! You will be…
May 7, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
updates
First, let’s talk about React. React 19 is now in beta. Whether you work with React or not, make sure you check it out. Questions about features like “actions,” “server components,” and “rehydration”…
May 6, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
real advice v.s. BS
I see “tech influencers” recommending developers who got laid off and cannot find a job to start their own companies. Like an AI-powered company. They say it is easy to raise money now as AI is super…
May 2, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
freedom
I am swamped with work today. Many of you booked me. I hope I get the chance to talk to you soon. Regardless, I wanted to write you a short email. An email about a trend I keep on seeing talking to…
Apr 30, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the future is bright indeed
Welcome to the future of software development! Take a seat and enjoy the show! - Pull requests are 14k lines long, and you won’t be able to review them without an AI-powered assistant. You spend more…
Apr 29, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
updates
First of all, I hope you are doing great! We are 2 days away from some sunny days in Berlin So I am very, very happy! Some things you should know about: 1. I am cleaning up this list Last night, I…
Apr 25, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
10 years of advice in 5 minutes
This is an email I wrote for young Dragos. Who, as a Junior developer, was constantly frustrated, afraid of failure, and thinking to quit. Ten years of experience writing code and training other…
Apr 23, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
ancient wisdom
As I told you last week, our spots are full! Bogdan and I are focused 100% on our current students. So, I will take it a bit easier on these emails. But, I hope you are focused on your goals and…
Apr 22, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
applications closed
Hey, JFY, our spots are completely full for this month. If you want to work with us, you will have to wait until we open the spots again. Most likely next month. Until than, we have a waiting list…
Apr 18, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
how to win the game
Yesterday I told you life is short. Today I tell you life is also hard. Very hard sometimes. Ya might be saying, Dragos, stop depressing me. Summer is around the corner, and I just wanna have some…
Apr 16, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
Monday motivation 💰
Life is short. Time is the most valuable resource you have. I knew this when I was in my twenties. But I only knew it “intellectually”. Now as a grown up male on the wrong side of my thirties, with a…
Apr 15, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the job market is not great, so what
Okay, here is the state of affairs. Some developers think the market is getting better. Others think it is getting worse. Some developers think AI is killing developer jobs. Others think AI is…
Apr 11, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
hope is not a good thing
Hope is not enough. The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies. I must have seen it about 15 times already. It is about Andy, a nice guy who is the victim of an unfair trial for a crime he…
Apr 9, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
good job market
I was checking software developer job postings. Around 7ks jobs in Berlin only. 16ks in London. 19ks in San Francisco. It feels to me that the market is recovering. The demand for software developers…
Apr 8, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the email I didn't want to write
I didn’t need to write this email. Software mastery is almost complete. We filled our spots this month. Next month is already getting booked. We are doing well. There’s no need for me to bother you.…
Apr 2, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
predictions 🔮
Based in what I’ve seen so far, here are my predictions for 2024: * AI fails to live expectations - LLMs' ability to solve problems proves to be very limited as they can’t think, English is a poor…
Mar 26, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the Nvidia guy is wrong
“I don’t know how it works, ChatGPT wrote it.” This will probably be the programming meme of the decade. With entire development teams not being fully aware of what their code does. And why it is…
Mar 20, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
attitude
I can write a book about what it takes to become a great developer. I can talk about technical skills, from design patterns to testing and performance. I can talk about how to sell yourself and how…
Mar 14, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
don't quit
Times are tough. Despite what we’ve been told, the software job market has not recovered yet. Layoffs are still happening. The job market is still way too competitive with hundreds of applicants for…
Mar 12, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
BIG news
Dear subscriber, I guess every now and then you are asking yourself what the heck is this guy doing behind the scenes (besides being cool, sexy, and not humble at all). Well, this is what Bogdan and…
Mar 5, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
toxic developer jobs
With the job market not doing well, many developers are stuck in bad companies. This can mean a toxic culture, politics, colleagues who don’t respect your boundaries, blaming, and all kinds of nasty…
Mar 4, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson from Mom 👸
My mom had one dream. But when she grew up, she met my dad. She got pregnant. Like many women of her generation, she had to put her dreams on hold for the next three decades. Now the kids grew up and…
Feb 27, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the developer job market is insane 🤯
Every single day someone is asking me this question… How do you see the developer job market? In one word… Not great. We’ve got way too many candidates for way too few job positions. When hiring,…
Feb 22, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the good life
After a long trip around the globe, I am back! Being so far from home made me realize one big thing I forgot… That I love being a developer! Because it doesn’t matter if I am in Berlin, Tokyo, or New…
Feb 19, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
don’t be like Leonardo
Nokia made too many phones. Apple made one. They won. Yahoo was doing News, Social Media, and Search. Google did only Search. They won. Leonardo Da Vinci was a true genius. But he constantly switched…
Feb 14, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
idea for ambitious developers 🫠
If you can’t find a job, start a software company. You are a developer. You how to build stuff. So go ahead and build it! All you need is: * An idea * Someone to pay for it Regarding ideas, there are…
Feb 9, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
your passion doesn’t matter
Here is a hard pill to swallow. You are only as good as you can prove it to the world. I know you are probably passionate, hard-working, and honest. I know you love to code. I know you always do your…
Feb 6, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
why boring is good
One developer I mentor told me she wants to quit software development. I was shocked because she is doing very well. Nice job, nice tech stack, and great salary. But, she is bored, she says. She…
Feb 5, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
our biggest gift ever 🎁
You probably heard about The Senior Dev Academy. This is a free community to help developers who are not yet ready to work with us. It is an application only and already has around 500 ambitious…
Feb 2, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
how to get sh**t done
Most developers I talk to are stuck. They just freeze up when it is time to take action. They understand things pretty well, and they would do well if they just started doing them. But they just…
Jan 31, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
the grass is greener when you water it 🌱💧
Most times you know what you need to do. But you don’t want to do it. So you go and do something else. You check out a new shiny JavaScript framework. You spend time on Reddit looking for what other…
Jan 30, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
3 reasons why people come to us (and you should too)
There are 3 main reasons developers join our Mentorship: * They want clarity * They want direction * They want feedback A mentorship program is one of the only ways to get those three things…
Jan 26, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
why developer don't have time
This is for you if you never “have enough time” to make progress in your developer career. Imagine this... The person you love most in your life gets hurt. They need to get to a hospital fast. Or…
Jan 25, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
back from the island 🏝️
Guess what? Your one and only is back from holidays! Back to helping you become the best developer you can be. Where have I been? Well, we are having a terrible winter in Berlin... So my girlfriend…
Jan 23, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
3 Pieces Of Advice I Hate
For most of my developer career, I followed the advice of “tech YouTubers. Guess what... It only got me stuck. Sure, I made some progress. But I ended up burned out, stuck in a mediocre job with…
Jan 15, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
Less frameworks, more progress.
You have to plug the holes before you can bail the boat! I used to chase after every new framework. I was subscribed to 40+ software development newsletters. I went to meetups, attended webinars, and…
Jan 12, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
Software Devs v.s. Senior Devs
There’s Sofware Devs and there’s Senior Devs. Senior Devs: * Focus on patterns and principles. Not frameworks. * Master habits, not hacks. * Ignore shiny objects. * Know when to say NO. * Seek…
Jan 11, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
my most important lesson this year ❤️
Happy New Year future Senior Devs! If you are reading this, congratulations, you’ve made it to the end. And on to the next one! It’s been a tough one for sure. We’ve seen a recession followed by mass…
Jan 3, 2024·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #10: giving back 🤝
Hello, This is one of my last emails for this year! First of all, Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it)! If not, Happy Winter Break! Today I wanted to talk about the importance of giving back. But…
Dec 25, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #8: perspective 👀
Everything in life is about perspective. One developer gets laid off and feels like a loser because of it. Other sees it as an opportunity for them to grow to the next level and find an even better…
Dec 22, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #7: deadline ⏰
A few days ago I was talking with one of our mentees. Now a Senior Developer, he’s been working at his current company for a while. We were catching up on life, and he told me about his habits. He…
Dec 21, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #6: integrity ❤️
In my 11 years of writing code, I observed many traits that top developers share. They are smart. They are optimistic and driven. And they work hard. Extremely hard. But, the one thing that set them…
Dec 20, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #5: impostor syndrome 👊🏼
Impostor Syndrome is the biggest obstacle to you reaching your full potential as a developer. You might think learning more will help you stop doubting yourself. And to some extent that's true. But…
Dec 19, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #4: will power 👊🏼
Okay, in the last emails, we talked about having a clear vision as a developer. And about keeping yourself accountable as you execute on it. But even if you do all that… There will still be days when…
Dec 18, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #3: consistency ⏳
In the last 2 emails, I talked about focus. And about vision. By now you know why committing and getting started is better than jumping around from thing to to thing. And why having a clear vision of…
Dec 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #2: vision 🎯
If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up in the wrong place. I think it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who said that. Is is how a poor kid who grew up in post World War Austria got to become…
Dec 16, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lesson #1: how to tame a lion 🦁
Today’s lesson is about focus. But first, let me tell you a little story. A story about lions. Back in the 1920’s when the circus was at its peak, most lion tamers would die in the ring. Clyde Beatty…
Dec 15, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
let the games begin 😈
Hey, This holiday Bogdan and I decided to get a bit crazy. And very creative. We want everyone on this email list that wants to work with us, to do so! So be prepared for a huge kick in the butt to…
Dec 14, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
I’am back (and the year is almost over)
So the good news is… That after a week on Spanish lands, having way too many sweets. Bogdan and I are back in Berlin! And we are planning to finish the year in style. This means new releases in both…
Dec 11, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
quick question
If you are on the email list and thinking of joining our Premium Mentorship Program… What is stopping you from signing up right now? Just hit reply and let me know :) I will answer all emails by…
Nov 28, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to balance your skills as a developer
Most developers struggle because their skills are unbalanced. They either know a bit of everything. But nothing too deep. So when an implementation requires more technical depth, they are in trouble.…
Nov 27, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the shortcut to confidence as a developer
The million-dollar question... How can I feel more confident as a developer? How can I get rid of Impostor Syndrome? How can I stop doubting my skills? Simple. Confidence comes from competence. The…
Nov 20, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
months instead of years
Here is how I started my morning today: https://www.loom.com/share/88b0516b03bf4439b9f6e2983f8f2c39?sid=5d25938f-a875-4ca3-83c9-f8bc0d13400e I already feel it will be a great day! This email is for…
Nov 16, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
money is not the answer
Many developers want to join our programs. But they don't. Not because they don’t believe in our claims. Most do. Not because they don’t have the time. The Software Mastery program is designed…
Nov 13, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
stop feeding the monster
Do you want to make it big as a software developer? You need to develop a thick skin. Because along the way you will have to go through a lot of bad stuff. Failed interviews, harsh code reviews,…
Nov 7, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the future of theSeniorDev
Hey there, hope you are having a good one! On my side, Bogdan and I have been hustling like crazy these days :) You are probably asking.... doing what? Well, I recorded a short video for you…
Oct 30, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
are developer salaries decreasing?
Hey there, Hope you got some time to rest during the weekend! So, took a lot of time to think about what to write you today. Should I talk about some technical stuff, some mindset things? Or maybe…
Oct 23, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the importance of starting small
Hello, How have you been? I hope you are taking advantage of the Autumn to improve your skills :) A few announcements. Due to the overwhelming success the Free Community (The Senior Dev Academy)…
Oct 19, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
thank you ❤️
I just wanted to say you are the best! We’ve filled the first 60 spots for the Free Community, with over 70 people from all over the world singing up. Many are leveling up so fast and unlocking the…
Oct 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
we are live 🎉
Hey there, How's the Monday going? I hope fine :) And it's only getting better because I have some great news! After weeks of hard work, we are live!…
Oct 16, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
when you need it the most
Hey, Okay so today, I will tell you an inspiring story. And some good news :) Isn't this the coolest dev newsletter ever? Now, back a few months ago I wasn't doing pretty well. We were having some…
Oct 13, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the biggest gift for our subscribers ever
Hey, I am so damn busy these days I had to write this on the go. Here is what I am working on... Bogdan and I are building a Free Community for Ambitious Software Developers looking to get to the…
Oct 9, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
a gun to my head
“I don’t have time.” This is the most common excuse I hear from people when it comes to executing on their goals. Not only developers. But all kinds of people, including myself. Most of them want…
Oct 6, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
success is unfair
I didn’t “visualize” my way out of the underpaid overworked junior developer. I didn’t get to Senior Developer by manifestation. I did it with hard work. With hundreds of hours in front of a 13-inch…
Oct 2, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
bold claim
Here is a bold statement. Most developers work too hard and make too little! In my experience over the last three years of mentoring and coaching devs, the average developer is at least 30%…
Sep 26, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
update
Hello, It’s been a while :) As I told you in my last email, I will be writing less and less for the next couple of weeks. This doesn’t mean I am gone! Bogdan and I are working harder than ever.…
Sep 18, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
don’t be a feature developer
Hello, It’s been a while :) I am writing a bit less these days. That’s because I am doing something else. Something you will find about soon enough… Before I tell you that, you need to know what…
Sep 11, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the one thing Seniors know that Juniors don’t
Here’s a piece of advice for every developer looking to switch jobs in the next 3 months… "If you want to get a job in this market, sell expertise, not skills." What do I mean? Expertise is what you…
Sep 6, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
don’t be a lemon 🍋
Being a developer these days is like a Marvel movie. There’s a plot twist every 15 minutes. First, we went from JQuery to React. From monolith to microservices, then the DevOps boom, and now – hold…
Aug 31, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
get busy living… or get busy dying
Some of you answered my question. Some of you didn’t. My thanks to Aleksandar, who mentioned “AI, mindset, and high-paying jobs” as topics he would like me to write more about. What about the other…
Aug 29, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the best of both worlds
Hey there, Happy Monday! Today, I want to be boring. So I will talk about what everyone, from your CTO to your grandma is chatting about. A.I. Have you already used ChatGPT or GitHub AI for code…
Aug 28, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
friday wisdom
"If you want the best, you must become the best." Literal words from Bogdan. We were having the usual morning coffee, looking at what's next for our students. How can we help them even better in…
Aug 25, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
from apathy to ambition
Ever felt like your dreams are bigger than you are? I did. I was just another developer in a team of 5. Which was part of a bigger team of 50. Which was part of an even bigger team of 500. In a world…
Aug 21, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
7 secrets of great developers
Are you asking yourself, what should I do to get to the next level? You see, every day, I talk to developers from all corners of the world. With different backgrounds and different tech stacks. Do…
Aug 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
AI, layoffs and the future of developers
Yesterday I had a coffee with one of my mentors. He runs one of the biggest networks of freelance developers in Europe. They operate in 17 countries with thousands of developers in all different tech…
Aug 15, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
money
My biggest regret before leaving my developer job to start theSeniorDev was being constantly underpaid. I’ve been underselling myself for my whole developer career. Don’t get me wrong, I got pay…
Aug 14, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the root of impostor syndrome
You can write perfect code and still doubt yourself. You can have a Senior title, a high salary, and recognition from your colleagues. And still doubt yourself. Why? Because fear of failure and…
Aug 11, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
an underrated developer skill you should master
Most developers suck at debugging. I used to suck too. Why? First of all, because I hated it. Finding an error in your code makes you realize you also make mistakes. Tons of mistakes. So debugging…
Aug 8, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
why I don't tell people what I do for a living
I used to tell people what I do for a living. I don’t anymore. Whenever I went to a tech meet-up, I told the truth: I help developers get to the Senior level faster. Do you know the reactions I've…
Aug 7, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
"mind-set"
If you read the news, you will see layoffs are everywhere (and the world is almost over). So what’s the strategy most developers have? Take no risks and hold on to your chips until things get better.…
Aug 4, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how much 💰you should make as a developer
Hey there, I know you’ve asked, so here they are. The results of the Developer Salary Survey 2023! In the last few days, I analyzed all the answers we received about salary, seniority level,…
Aug 3, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the cure to framework obsession
In my three years of helping over 200 developers get to the Senior level and beyond, I can’t think of a most recurrent problem than framework obsession. Developers constantly wonder if the framework…
Aug 1, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to meet your heroes (photo inside)
Hey there, So Bogdan and I are back from the WeAreDevelopers and more pumped than ever! It’s been a blast! I remember walking into this conference years ago thinking, "Ohh, maybe one day I'll get to…
Jul 31, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to win the game
Here’s a question that couldn’t let me sleep in the last couple of days... If I could only tell you only 3 things about how to become a better developer, what would those be? Would it be technical…
Jul 24, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
new video: Senior Dev Mental Models
Hey, You people loved the Mental Models email I wrote a few weeks ago. So I went ahead and did a video about it at your request ❤️ You can watch it here on YouTube.…
Jul 21, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the 100ks decision
Underpaid, 20kg overweight, and addicted to gaming. Me in my second developer job. Even if at that point, I’ve been writing code for 3 years I still struggled. Within one year time, I would turn that…
Jul 20, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
London pictures 🇬🇧
Hello, I hope you had a lovely weekend! Last week I didn’t get to write you again because Bogdan and I went to London to meet some of our UK-based mentees. It was our first time on British lands, and…
Jul 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
back from holidays & Kaizen
It’s been a while, wasn’t it? If you are wondering why I didn’t write you anything last week is because I was on vacation. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Bogdan and I also need some time off. We’ve…
Jul 10, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
“I got laid off… now what?”
Howdy, First of all, apologies for the radio silence. Bogdan and I had a long weekend. It’s been a busy quarter, and we are taking some time off. Secondly, if you read the title of this email, you'd…
Jun 28, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
💰 the Developer Salary Survey 2023 is back
Hey, You already know our mission is to help developers like you move your career forward and live your dream life. That is why Bogdan and I started theSeniorDev.com... This means helping you improve…
Jun 23, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
is this a bad time to go to the market?
"How do you see the dev market right now?" "Is this a bad time to interview?" My inbox is full of these kinds of questions... Look, the market is the market. Sure, there are more devs right now…
Jun 21, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
3 reasons why developers fail
In my 3 years of training and mentoring over 200+ software developers, I observed a strange set of patterns. These patterns determine whether a developer will succeed or fail in their quest to reach…
Jun 20, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to make it BIG as a developer in 2023
Hey there, Happy Monday! First, the bad news… Being a developer after 2023 will never be the same. In a scary way! The industry is going through a tectonic shift. Massive changes in the market…
Jun 19, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
hunting for a dev job right now? read this...
Hey, If you are a developer looking for a new job soon, you might want to read this. Because in this email, I will answer the top 5 questions about job hunting as a developer that I got from our…
Jun 13, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
11 mistakes every developers makes
Hey there, I’ve been writing code for over 10 years and went from self-taught coder to Senior developer in record time. In the last 3 years, I’ve trained over 200 developers to reach the same level…
Jun 12, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
9 Senior Level Mental Models That Every Software Developer Should Know
“Senior Developer is not a title. It is a way of thinking.” - Bogdan Nedelcu If you’ve worked with real Senior Developers before, you know that is a fact. Yet, at the same time, most tutorials and…
Jun 9, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
5 commandments for success as a self-taught developer
Hello, hello, Today, I wanted to share a success story with you from one of my mentees. Now, this developer was working with JavaScript (Angular), was self-taught, and had around 2 and a half years…
Jun 6, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to keep your sanity
Hey there, If you are like most developers, you have times when you feel nothing is working. When you get overwhelmed thinking of everything you don’t know. Paralyzed by anxiety and fear. It might be…
Jun 2, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
is not my problem
Early in my coding days when someone asked me why I didn’t do something my standard answer would be… It is not my problem. Unit tests for the payment service not passing? Not my problem. Client-side…
May 31, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the 10x developer… myth or reality?
I bet you’ve heard the myth of the 10x engineer. The mythical developer that’s able to deliver what the other 10 programmers would. Most people believe being a 10x developer is about coding speed. Or…
May 25, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
here is what's possible for you
First of all, happy Friday! I hope you are taking it easy for today :) By the way, did I ever tell you the story of the baby elephant? As travelers passed by and observed the elephants, they were…
May 19, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
forget the hype, ChatGPT can actually help you
I don’t know for sure if AI will replace software developers or not. But I do know that AI dev tools are here to stay. Do you want to have an edge over all the other developers stuck in the past? You…
May 16, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
you are not your f*@king job
“You are not your fucking khakis” - Tyler Durden. In the last couple of months, I’ve talked to developers about the impact that tools like ChatGPT and Github Copilot will have on our future. And God,…
May 15, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
tips for your next technical interview
Hey, Just a quick email letting you know that if you've been laid off recently, I wish you the best of success in finding a new position. Technical interviews are frustrating and painful Particularly…
May 11, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the year of “efficiency”
Last March, Meta announced another 10.000 layoffs. Just after laying off another 11.000 people in November. This is not new, as in 2023 alone, over 183.000 tech workers have been laid off (which…
May 10, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the future of coding
Hey there, First of all, Happy Tuesday! Now, if you checked Twitter in the last weeks, you've seen everyone talks about one thing only: Artificial Intelligence. ChatGPT is getting smarter, and…
May 8, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
I was wrong about AI
Hey there, I hope you are also getting some sunshine :) As you know, Bogdan and I have been working exclusively on AI in the last few weeks. We wanted to understand the real impact of these…
May 4, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the age of AI-Driven Development has begun
They call them “Prompt Engineers,” and they earn up to $335.000 per year. Their job? AI Whispering. Effectively instructing the ChatGPT to produce the best output with as few words as possible. Do…
Apr 27, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the end of software developers
I am about to give you a cold, hard slap of reality. Some of you won’t like what you are about to hear. Many will ignore it, deny it, or go about their day. You might even unsubscribe. That is ok. I…
Apr 26, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how developers with less experience than you are getting ahead
Dear subscriber, Happy Friday! I used to believe that I needed tens of years of experience to get to Senior level. So instead of improving my skills, I waited. I procrastinated. I postponed. Then I…
Apr 21, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
ChatGPT won’t steal your job
Some Monday motivation for you first: Sad but true. Now let’s get to the meat of things. You are probably sick of ChatGPT news on social media. Will it take your job? Will it make developers more…
Apr 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
money
Hello, hello, After a long break over Easter, I am back to writing you. I hope you took some time to rest because we have a full quarter ahead of us! Today I wanted to talk to you about something…
Apr 13, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
look for “easy” things
Every now and then some developer approaches me with a new “challenge”. A new framework that just got released. And my God, this new thing promises to revolutionize everything. From the way we write…
Apr 4, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
bad news (that don’t have to be that bad)
Happy Thursday by the way. Today I made the mistake of reading the News (which are never positive) and based on what I’ve read, things are not pretty at all. First of all the economy is stuck and…
Mar 30, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
warning
Just wanted to warn you that the 30% discount on our programs will expire in 2 days. Every 31st of March we update our prices, and the time has finally come. Apply here now to get the "old price"!…
Mar 30, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the “magic pill” does exists
Every now and then I find a comment on my YouTube channel. “But Dragos, the only way to get to the Senior level is time and experience. You can’t rush things.” I don’t blame people for thinking like…
Mar 29, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
let's make real progress
Hey there, As a fellow developer, this is what I DON’T want you to go through: * You doubt yourself and your skills and suffer from impostor syndrome * You started countless courses and side projects…
Mar 23, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the Elephant story
Hello, Are you having a great Monday? I hope you do! There’s been a bit of turmoil about the SVB shutdown. Some developers we mentor also have been affected. I hope you are ok! If your company has…
Mar 13, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
Expert Frontend Devs do this when they feel stuck
"Hi Dragos, feeling a bit stagnant in my growth as a Front-End developer. I have hit a plateau in my development, and I am not making the progress that I would like. I am struggling to find the…
Mar 10, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
a game of courage
I never felt ready to write this email. In fact, when this morning I sit at my desk and asked myself in despair: What the heck am I going to talk to you about? I waited for inspiration. It never…
Mar 7, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
life is short
Every day I wake up, shower, brush my teeth, and have a coffee. Then I review my goals. Yearly goals, weekly goals, and finally, my schedule for the day. That’s when I realize one thing: life is…
Mar 2, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the trap of mediocrity
Leila is a software developer. Just like any programmer, she dreams of being a Senior one day. She made a plan. She set a deadline in her calendar. Every day she wakes up, she will be working on her…
Feb 28, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
the one secret to success
If you are attached to success, you will only find failure. Today I wanted to talk about something profound. It is the reason why so many developers struggle with anxiety and fear of failure, which…
Feb 27, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
lessons from the Spanish countryside
Hello, So after a few days of sunshine and delicious food, I am back in Berlin. And back to doing what I love the most! Which is helping you become a better developer... And a better human! Anyways.…
Feb 23, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
love takes work
So I am having a coffee with this developer. She’s been writing code for 5 years. She wants to quit. She tells me she’s lost her love for coding. She feels tired of staring at a computer for hours.…
Feb 14, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
ask my anything
Hey, Is there anything that I can help you with? Any topic in your developer career that you need advice on? Just reply here, and I will answer you personally Yours, Dragos Unsubscribe here (Warning!…
Feb 11, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
will AI take my developer job?
It is the question of the year, so I had to write about it. Will AI kill my job as a developer? Will ChatGPT replace coders? Probably, YES. Will AI replace developers? Probably, NO. You see,…
Feb 9, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
how to know what you don’t know
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” - Bill Gates So true. Do you know why? Because it is impossible to know what you don’t know.…
Feb 7, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
10 mistakes JavaScript Developers will make in 2023
Success in software development is rarely about perfection. Actually, just like in tennis, avoiding mistakes and making steady progress will take you much further. Talking about mistakes, here are 10…
Feb 6, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
who cares
Hey, you want to know something? The details don’t matter. Soo many developers set out to achieve things with a short-term mindset. They are focused on the outcome. They want the quick fix, they want…
Feb 2, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
survival guide to technical interviews
Hey there, How have you been? I hope you are taking advantage of the winter days to brush up on those developer skills. Today I wanted to talk to you about something you probably hate. Something all…
Jan 31, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
reality over dreams
Imagine… Waking up every day wishing for a promotion to the next level... You’ve been working at it for the last three years. You’ve done dozens of courses and started more side-projects than you can…
Jan 30, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
kill your excuses before they kill you
Imagine the person you love the most in your life gets hurt. They need to get to a hospital fast or they will die. What do you do? Simple. You get into the car and you drive to the hospital! But, as…
Jan 24, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
don't get, become
Hey, How is going? I hope you are having a happy Monday! Here is a little smile for you: Forward. Today I wanted to talk to you about getting v.s. becoming. My inbox is full of questions like: “How…
Jan 23, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
a pack of doughnuts 🍩 (and a red bull)
I’ve been thinking. What if I only had a few minutes left in my life? What if my end was near and I could only give you one piece of advice? What would that be? Something about programming? Some…
Jan 19, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
write tests as easy as you write code
Do you know one thing developers I work with don’t know enough of? Is not a fancy JavaScript framework. Nor some crazy design pattern. It is… Testing. Boring, right? With everyone so busy trying to…
Jan 17, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
thank you
%FIRSTNAME%, I just wanted to say thank you. It’s been over 3 years since I left my software development job to build theSeniorDev.com together with my brother Bogdan. What started with 5 students…
Jan 16, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
Work with me in 2023?
Hey %FIRSTNAME%, There’s never been a better time to upskill yourself as a developer than RIGHT NOW. For starters, due to the massive layoffs we've seen last year, most developers in the market are…
Jan 10, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
question 🥳
Happy New Year! %FIRSTNAME%, may this be your best year yet as a developer! May your wildest dreams come true! I will continue to support you as much as I can on your journey! But I can’t read your…
Jan 2, 2023·Dragos Nedelcu
