Dear new developer, I've already written about the power of copy/paste to save effort. And had a guest blogger write about how you should be focus on inspiration rather than imitation. This letter is going to be extremely tactical and reveal to you two commands that I didn't know until a year or so ago. … Continue reading Use the clipboard from the command line
Dear new developer, If you are totally thrilled with your job right now, stop reading. This letter isn't for you. Okay. So you may be unhappy with some aspect of your current job. I have some advice for you. Take a tour with a different department at your current employer. This won't work for everyone. … Continue reading Take a tour with a different department
This is a guest post from Perry Tiu. Enjoy. Dear New Developer, Ask for great hardware. Ask for that latest MacBook. Ask for that extra built-in 2TB of flash storage. Ask for that 32-inch monitor. Ask for that additional vertical monitor. Ask for that standing desk. Ask for that Aeron chair. Ask for that expensive … Continue reading Ask for great hardware
Dear new developer, I struggle with envy. I find one kind particularly insidious. It's the envy I have of someone I know online. I'll see someone younger than me, or less experienced than I am, or less knowledgeable than me. But they somehow have 10x the Twitter followers, or have been asked to headline conferences, … Continue reading Try to feel inspired, not envious
This is a guest post from Eddie Jaoude. Enjoy. Dear New Developer, I will be the first one to tell you that it is not essential to have a degree in computer science to become a developer. My own journey started with a degree in engineering and falling into code as a mix of a … Continue reading Make it open source
Dear new developer, If you don't know what you don't know, it's hard to learn it. There are so many resources for learning, but if you can't find them, you're going to have a hard time taking advantage of them. Sometimes you need to spend time learning what you need to spend time learning. That … Continue reading Google can’t help if you don’t know the words
Dear new developer, The command line is a powerful tool, and writing shell scripts lets you write a series of commands once and replay them any time you like. But sometimes you will write a series of commands without putting them into a script. This may be because you are exploring a problem or because … Continue reading Use your shell’s history
Dear new developer, Criticizing code (and software solutions in general) is an important skill. It helps transmit norms, increase team knowledge, and improve solutions. But it isn't something that comes naturally; at least, I had to learn how to do it. Similar to learning how to edit other's essays, you must learn how to critique … Continue reading How to criticize code
This is a guest post from Kate Catlin. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Welcome to tech! Wow, I remember those days– Confusing, exciting, challenging. Nothing is certain except that you are in for a wild ride. Hold tight! The advice I’m writing to share with you today is this: Before you write any code, think first … Continue reading Think first about what problem this is solving and for whom
This is a guest post from Allie Cooper. Enjoy. It’s one thing to be able to write good code, but professional written communication is something else entirely. The ability to efficiently and authentically communicate using written language is an often ironically underrated skill in software development.This is something that new developers need to get over … Continue reading Why and how to improve your writing skills as a software developer
Letters To A New Developer 