I originally posted this post on my blog.
A Redditor recently asked here for tips to become a better programmer. The kind of tips we wish we had known when we started coding.
I've been taking a few courses here and there for c# as a side language I’m learning. Curious if you know something I don’t and have tips for making other newcomers a better programmer... Lmk what you wish you could have learned earlier that would of helped you progress faster!
You're not going to like it, but:
Don't obsess over syntax and programming languages.
Coding isn't about learning every feature of a language.
You don't need a huge list of tools to start. With HTML/CSS/JavaScript, one backend language, and a good amount of SQL, you have enough to make your way through the coding world.
You could learn the rest by doing and Googling.
More important than syntax and languages is product thinking.
Instead of obsessing with the best language features, think in terms of the product you're building.
Ask the questions most coders wouldn't dare to ask:
- Are we building what users really need?
- How will they use our product?
- How many users will we have?
- How much are we charging?
Ask about marketing, sales, or anything beyond coding. Get interested in the business behind the code you're writing.
That attitude will make you stand out in any team. It will save you from building the wrong features or optimizing for a scale you won't have.
Product thinking will open doors to climb the corporate ladder faster.
There's more to coding than typing symbols on text files.
After 10+ years of coding, I've learned that the more senior you become, the less it's about syntax and the more it's about how you collaborate, communicate, and solve business problems.
I wish someone had told me that earlier. As a junior coder, I obsessed over learning languages and ignored other valuable skills: product thinking, teamwork, and clear communication.
And that's why I wrote Street-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding, the guide to the lessons I wish I'd known from day one.
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