Dear new developer, A few months ago I asked Marie Chatfield, a front end developer and advice columnist, what her one best piece of advice for new developers was. She wrote a great response. From the post: For the self-taught programmer: I am amazed at your dedication and perseverance and ability to learn from different … Continue reading Contextual advice for new developers
Category: letters to a new developer
Develop empathy
Dear new developer, Right now you're probably a bit frustrated and confused. You're learning a lot of things and you don't really understand everything. Sometimes things click and it all makes sense, other times you're confused and staring at what feels like a brick wall. Perhaps you just want to make things work and they … Continue reading Develop empathy
Leveling up tips from Chelsea Troy
Dear new developer, I found this video from Chelsea Troy about how to level up as a developer interesting (I love watching YouTube videos on 1.5x speed to save time): A few tidbits I found interesting: the distinction between leveling up passively (which we all do as we learn in our daily work life) and … Continue reading Leveling up tips from Chelsea Troy
Software is about people, not code
Dear new developer, When I was starting out, I thought that software development was all about code. After all, that was the main thing I was working on. Well, maybe not the main thing, as I needed to know what code to write, how to interface with other code, what was the problem being solved, … Continue reading Software is about people, not code
Things good engineers do
Dear new developer, I found this post covered some things that good software engineers do. It doesn't focus on the technical aspects, but on other aspects of software development. Things they do: Ask for help Work on one thing at a time Prioritise unblocking My favorite quote: In software development we rarely have the luxury … Continue reading Things good engineers do
On debugging
Dear new developer, Debugging systems is a key skill to have. Here are a few thoughts about it. Try to get the problem to be as simple as possible. Start with the problem and keep isolating and removing pieces and see if the problem persists. Modern systems are complex and the less you have to … Continue reading On debugging
How to Develop Expert Intuition
This is a guest post from Kim Schlesinger. Enjoy. Dear New Developer, I know you worked hard to get where you are. You are self-taught, you earned a degree in computer science, or you graduated from a coding bootcamp, and your hard work helped you master the skills required to be a ‘junior’ developer. (I … Continue reading How to Develop Expert Intuition
Context is king
Dear new developer, I put this image in almost every presentation I do. There are two reasons. It's a striking picture, and funny. It reminds me that context is important. In some contexts, a pumpkin is a decoration. In others, food. In others, a frickin' boat. On that note, I recently posted my letter on … Continue reading Context is king
Start the conversation
This is a guest post from Tae Kim. Enjoy. Heyo! So you’ve entered the world of… development? Software engineering? Programming? Coding? So many words for the same thing! I usually stick with “Software Engineering” for the resume because that sounds the fanciest, and fancy === money. But when my friends or family ask, I say … Continue reading Start the conversation
Are you ready to work remotely?
Dear new developer, Remote work is fantastic. You avoid a commute, have control over your work environment, and save money on lunches. However, it has downsides. You need a fast internet connection, you must be disciplined, over communicate and stay on task. You have to be OK with relative solitude. My desire to work remotely … Continue reading Are you ready to work remotely?
Letters To A New Developer 