Dear new developer, Stephanie Hurlburt tweets some amazing stuff. Definitely worth the follow. Here's an interesting post from her about fulfillment. From the post: I threw myself at helping others and was absolutely shocked to find myself not really that fulfilled from this work. I couldn't figure it out, was something wrong with me?! I … Continue reading What is fulfillment?
Category: letters to a new developer
Be a Just in Time Learner, part I
Dear new developer, There's the concept of a JIT compiler. I was first introduced to it with the HotSpot Java compiler. The idea is that a compiler can look at code and find the code that executes often and optimize it, sometimes compiling it down to faster code, sometimes unrolling loops. I'm no compiler expert … Continue reading Be a Just in Time Learner, part I
Always Be Journaling
This is a guest blog post from Brooke Kuhlmann. Enjoy. Dear developer, Of the many techniques you'll pick up over the course of your career, one worth investing in early is journaling. Journaling might not seem like a worthy endeavor at first. Capturing important moments of your life on a daily basis might even seem … Continue reading Always Be Journaling
Start a blog
Dear new developer, A blog is free (except in terms of time), forces you to think, provides an example of your ability to discuss concepts, and helps others. What's not to like? The hardest part about blogging is just doing it, day in and day out. Now, I am no Fred Wilson, who has blogged … Continue reading Start a blog
Help your manager help you by owning the one to one agenda
Dear new developer, You need to realize that your manager is pulled between two goals (this assumes you have a good manager--if you don't have a manager who wants to help you, find a new job). 1. Helping you. 2. Helping the company for which you work. Unfortunately, the latter takes precedence. It's more work … Continue reading Help your manager help you by owning the one to one agenda
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
This is a guest blog post from Noel Worden. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It can be stressful and humbling to reach out and ask a question, but it can be the best way to stop spinning your wheels and make progress. It’s stressful because as a new developer you … Continue reading Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Justin Kan on whether you should work at a startup
Dear new developer, Justin Kan has deep experience in the startup space, including at an accelerator called Y Combinator. He gave a talk about why you should work for a startup, and why you shouldn't. Here's the transcript,, and here's a blog post based on it. If you're looking for good management, avoid startups: The … Continue reading Justin Kan on whether you should work at a startup
Making mistakes is OK
Dear new developer, One time, not too many years ago, I was using git. I had used it for some personal projects, but hadn't used it in the team setting before. We were using this git branching model. I was creating feature branches and working on them. However, often I would be working on the … Continue reading Making mistakes is OK
How to market yourself as a new software developer
Dear new developer, This post from Corey Snipes, an experienced software developer, is well worth a read. From the post: People skills help so much. It’s hard to overstate that. I am a competent software developer, but I am really good at working on a team and that has carried me to increasingly sophisticated and … Continue reading How to market yourself as a new software developer
Show gratitude
Dear new developer, I have found gratitude to be an invaluable part of my software development career. First, being grateful makes me happier. It works for others too. When I get frustrated with someone at work, or some technology that is poorly documented or doesn't do just want I want, taking a step back and … Continue reading Show gratitude
Letters To A New Developer 