What makes a Good Developer?

I’ve always had a great affinity for the tech industry but I went in not knowing if I had the skills to succeed. As I found programming and geared towards Web Development, it became evident that certain personality traits benefited me, such as being overly analytical, Shaolin monk like patience, and genuine curiosity. Thankfully, those traits helped, but even then I took the time to find out more ways to improve. So here are some mindsets/skills I found and developed over time that can help you as well:

• Curiosity

In this case curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Playing with code can be very beneficial in 3 major ways: 1. You can find a more efficient way to write a piece of code keeping it Clear “//Comments”, Refactored and DRY. 2. It pushes you to go beyond what you know and get out of your comfort zones. 3. “Testing till failure”, break your app or site is one of the best habits to have because you find errors that you can fix and can avoid on your next project.

• Tech for people

This is simple as you program remember you not programming the user interface for another programmer. Your programming it for the average tech user, who uses the internet for social content or for someone who has a disability that needs ease of use Interface. Keep the techincal terms around yoru fellow developers and simplify for others.

• Flexicution

Meaning “Be Flexible on your Execution”, Flexibility in this industry is of great importance simply because this industry is unpredictable. New languages are coming out constantly, clients change their mind on a fly, companies may want a change in their database, the variables are endless. So always stay on Flexicution.

• Never stop learning

Never stop learning. Always stay updated on your favorite language or framework you specify in. Also try to learn new prominent upcoming language, this will make you more viable in the future.

• Pair Programming

Most companies now a days require you to pair programming, which is quite beneficial because two minds are better than one. It also serves as a good way to network or to be mentored by someone who may have more experience than yourself.

• Be Analytical

Always be very logical/analytical about your work, problem solving is a big part of programming. Along with breaking down bigger projects into smaller organized chunks of code. This will have your mind on the big picture while keeping you detail oriented which will help on the long run with less debugging.

So keep these things in mind on your next solo or group project and work your way to becoming a Good Developer.