5 To-Do’s That Can Help you Become a Great Developer
By: Vikas Singh
Tags: Software Development, Developer, Habits, Experience, Engineering

If a person has been a developer for a significant amount of time, it does not make him or her an ‘out of this world’ developer. Then what is the differentiating factor between a senior, mid-level and junior developer?

Simple. It is how one can optimize their skill set to solve a problem efficiently. Although, the approach may vary based on the organization or even the product/ service. For example, a senior developer of a start-up may have to tackle snags differently as compared to someone working for a multi-national company.

However, I can tell you one thing. All ‘senior’ developers possess certain acquired qualities to drive the best level of output and these qualities may differ.

Experience ≠ Excellence.

Let’s get started.

1. Question. Observe. Code.

Good questions inform, great questions transform! — Ken Cloeman

Question — If you are starting off in your career the biggest probable quality you can have is to ask questions! They can be absolutely rudimentary and basic, but make sure you clear all your doubts.

In my experience, a lot of times, freshers are scared to ask questions in fear of being scolded or jaded away. But, hey, remember that everyone was once a fresher! In the early stage, it is beneficial to have a mentor who will assist you in understanding the world of commercial codes.

Observe — If you work at product oriented companies, your job will encompass you to work with a myriad of departments, like product, design, content and even finance. Figure out how the team structure works, how efficiently you can deliver work by working with each team and how you will resolve dependencies.

Code — When you learn how to ride a bicycle, you are bound to fall, trip and scuttle, before you get a hang of things. Similarly, when you start coding initially, your codes may not be perfect (whose code is perfect anyway?), but your team will expect you to write a clean code so that they can understand the workings of it. Keep your functions short, variables understandable and the flow neat.

2. Be Product-Oriented

Your product may be a tool, a service, or a tangible item, but your goal regardless should be to make that product the best version of itself. Elon Musk had said in an interview that, “Great companies are built on great products” and behind every great product, there is a team of developers, stitching the nitty-gritties.

Learn to think from the mindset of consumers. “Would I want this table to be dynamic?”, “How would I want the interface to be?”, “Is this product beneficial for me?”. As a developer, your main task is to build a product that can provide your customers with a super-awesome experience.

3. Be a Team player

While it is important to do your work before jumping in to help the next person, when you are part of a team, don’t shy away to extend a helping hand. It is okay if you aren’t very well versed with a job, try to take up the initiative and don’t be scared of being corrected. For bugs will come and bugs will go, but it is upto you to keep doing your best.

Reviewing each others code is a must, which can help you improve your coding skills and a chance to learn from other people’s work.

4. Knowledge — More and More of it!

Your learning as a developer should never cease. Read up about products, their workings, new softwares and tools, take courses on Coursera and Unacademy, make a list of books you want to read next, or even start reading articles on Medium!

The other part is to observe old members in your team, the way they streamline and try to identify problems that occur. Keep them in your mind and try solving problems using those as examples.

You stop growing the day you stop learning. Be hungry, always.

5. Simple Is Cool

Once you become a senior developer, you will realize that every move you make comes with its own snags and risk. In this situation, I repeat one mantra ‘Simple is cool’.

It is your responsibility to stabilize the team and do holistic risk management. Remember, your choice does not depend on what a book thinks you should do in such situations. It depends on what will be easy to maintain, teach and debug.

Ending Note

Well, these are just some tactics you can use to make your work experience smoother.

Remember, to not hang onto ‘titles’. Your worth in a company is determined by the knowledge you have attained overtime and not a fancy title that has been bestowed upon you.

In my opinion, developers of worth will care much more about the impact they have had on the product, team and company, because that’s ultimately what will contribute to their legacy. And honestly, it’s okay to make mistakes. All of us struggle, fail, get knocked to the ground and then, we spring right back up to continue doing what we love — developing the best software.