Try contracting

Dear new developer, You have a portable skillset; most every company needs software, just like everyone needs accountants. You have a "means of production" that only costs a few thousand dollars: your laptop. You are in demand (as long as you have the right skills, experience and salary expectations). Please take a chance during the … Continue reading Try contracting →

Potential vs delivery

Dear new developer, Early in your career you are judged on potential. Frankly, this is because when you are young in your career, you don't have much of a track record, so there's not much else to judge you on. This means that you can take more risks early in your career. You can shift … Continue reading Potential vs delivery →

Join a meetup

Dear new developer, You are probably pretty overwhelmed right now. There is a lot on your plate and you probably are just trying to keep up with the job. I hate to do this, but I am going to ask you for some extra curricular time. You need to join a technology meetup. Go to … Continue reading Join a meetup →

Know when to not throw in the towel

Dear new developer, I wrote previously about when to throw in the towel. Now I want to mention when you shouldn't. Anything worth doing is hard. That includes software development. There are times, sure, when it feels like you're a superhero. When the code is flowing. When you can hold the entire system in your … Continue reading Know when to not throw in the towel →

Laziness, impatience, hubris

Dear new developer, Larry Wall has created foundational software (perl, patch). He coined the three virtues of a programmer: Laziness: The quality that makes you go to great effort to reduce overall energy expenditure. It makes you write labor-saving programs that other people will find useful and document what you wrote so you don't have … Continue reading Laziness, impatience, hubris →

Know when to throw in the towel

Dear new developer, Sometimes, you just have to stop. Stop writing that code. If you've been banging your head on a problem, stop. If you've been thinking about a bug, stop. If you've been writing and writing code but you can't seem to get anywhere, stop. Go for a walk. Take a break. Talk to … Continue reading Know when to throw in the towel →

Choose an employer who treats you well during an interview

Dear new developer, You may not realize it, but you have a lot of power during the interview. Sure, it doesn't feel like it, but right now a lot of companies are seeking developers, and you are desired. There are many many things to consider when taking a job, but one strong indicator of how … Continue reading Choose an employer who treats you well during an interview →

Understand the business

Dear new developer, Your code is written to further some end. It could be for academia, government, or, more likely, for business purposes. In all the cases, having a greater understanding of these overarching purposes will allow you to make smarter decisions and write better systems. However, just like in software development, business uses a … Continue reading Understand the business →

Deep vs wide experience

Dear new developer, You have only a finite amount of time, and the world is large. Technology changes so often and so fast that it can often feel like there is not enough time. Here are two strategies. The first is to focus on fundamentals. Yes, there's a new javascript framework. But it will still … Continue reading Deep vs wide experience →

Strong convictions, loosely held

Dear new developer, When building a system, you're going to be confronted with lots of decisions. Unless you are operating in a total vacuum, you'll have to reach agreement with other people. This will lead to discussions and arguments, as all the people involved will bring their viewpoints and experience. You should definitely participate, and … Continue reading Strong convictions, loosely held →