joshuago’s management Bookmarks

To truly become a better programmer, you have to to cultivate passion for everything else that goes on around the programming. Learn about your users, your company, and your industry. The more things you are interested in, the better your work will be.

Work on projects with other programmers. With some projects, be the best programmer on the team. With other projects, be the worst so you can learn. Work on projects after other programmers to learn to be a good maintainer. Learn half a dozen programming languages, where each one challenges the way you think about programming (e.g. LISP versus C).

Have a set of rules to follow so you don't waste mental energy trying to figure out if you covered everything. And if the situation calls for breaking the rules, at least you have some to throw out the window.

Face the unpleasant truth and tell it like it is. Don't release a monolith, but work incrementally so your product can take root on solid ground before expanding. Don't let disappointment hold you back, and be determined to keep learning and to excel in new areas.

Sometimes, deadlines are completely contrived. A good way to respect the client or boss is to ask why the deadline exists, and be clear about what must be provided, which should clarify the picture for both parties. Oftentimes, this process will make the client realize that the project really isn't that urgent after all.