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…
Dragos Nedelcu
Aug 17, 2023 · 2 MIN READ
- Technical Depth - this is the biggest lack I see in the market. Technology is becoming more complex, and most devs fail to keep up. Look at the JavaScript world, TypeScript has become the industry standard, yet many developers still struggle with it.
- Big Picture Understanding - the nerd programmer that can only build a REST API in Node won’t get anywhere. Code crunching alone is almost useless, with AI around the corner. Expert developers can contribute across the stack outside of their core expertise.
- Clear Goals - confidence does not always come from competence. Sometimes we might lack the skills but still be confident we can deliver. Why? We know we have what it takes to learn the skills, and we have clarity. Great developers have clear goals and work towards them every single day.
- Discipline - plans and goals are great, but if you don't do the work, they are just silly dreams. Great developers have mastered the art of discipline. They follow a schedule, and they follow a diet. They go to sleep at a particular hour and wake up at the same hour. They know the key to making the most of your day is discipline.
- Long-term thinking - the developer community is full of shiny objects fighting for your attention. Great developers stay away from the hype machine. They consider the “new” as bad and the “old” as tested and proven. They rarely fall victim to the new trend and focus on the things that won’t change. They are long-term thinkers.
- Focus - in hand with long-term thinking comes their ability to say no. Time is limited. You only have a few hours in the day, so you can’t say too many yeses. Great programmers say no, and they say no a lot. They understood the only way to achieve more is by doing less.
- Visibility - great developers know that without someone to pay for their skills, they are just starving artists. They keep an eye on their CV, LinkedIn, and the connections they have in the industry because what you know matters as much as who you know.
