A few weeks ago i was on a call with a friend of mine. He works as a backend developer intern at a fintech startup. One of the brightest if you ask me.
while on the call we began talking about databases. which somehow led to him complaining about how difficult it was for him to use "pg admin" which the default database gui tool for postgresql on macos.
I suggested he try tableplus which was a tool i recently got introduced to. He tried it out and was really impressed.
Then he asked me a question "how are you so knowledgeable about these tools and softwares". Of course i felt he was exxagerating, i mean i didnt have nearly as much experience as he did.
Then he reminded me of all the tools and ai agents I had introduced him to.
Which led me to the question.
Does staying up to date with the latest tech trends and releases actually make you more relevant as a developer?
The answer to this may seem obvious but from my own personal experience it was something i had to ponder on for quite a while.
ive always been the kind of person to want to know about the latest react release and its update. or what new ai model has just been released. The question is: how much of that was of any use?
The Silent Pressure
As a software developer,one of the biggest challenges ive faced personally is trying to stay ahead with an industry that never seems to slow down. one month you're finishing up a project you spent months building using a new framework. The next month you open twitter just to find out its already outdated and everyone seems to have moved on to the next shiny thing.
I think we've all experienced something like this before. The stuggle of not getting left behind or becoming irrelevant.
In an ever growing industry like software engineering. where the main objectives companies aim to achieve is to satisfy shareholder-- its either adapt or die.
but what if chasing every new technology doesnt make you any more valuable.
The Hidden Cost
Earlier i made a reference to a friend of mine. I was busy being updated with each newly released technology. He on the other hand. stuck with one programming language and developed expertise. while i was making sure my dependencies werent outdated, i could have chosen one core technology and improved my expertise on it.
what good is knowing 10 javascript frameworks when you struggle to build an application from scratch with just one.
what many junior developers like myself fail to realise.
No matter how updated you are. Depth beats breadth every single time.
Fundamentals Outlive Frameworks
This is something i wish i learnt a lot sooner. if you're a junior who is interested in frontend development. knowing these foundations will take you far ahead than any framework could have.
- Responsive design
- accessibility
- typography
- vanilla css animations
- state management
- knowing how to interact with the browser
focusing on the basics would not only make you more confident in your skills. It would also make you stand out amongs a talent pool who cant even build a simple navbar without importing an external component
# How To Actually Stay Relevant
Now i know i said you don't need to know all the latest technologies. But being able to adapt would allow you to become more flexible. A lot of startupts and other companies use different libraries for various purposes. In such cases, knowing when to generalise vs when to specialise is also a core skill.
start with the basics:i know you've probably heard this a million times but that just goes to show how imporant it is. Mastering the basics allows you to easily transition to whatever is required for the problem you're trying to solve. start small, then broaden your skill as you grow.
Analyze job listings:This isnt emphasized nearly enough. Theres a good chance that whatever language you've spent the last few months getting good at doesnt even have any demand in your local community.
if your goal is to actually get a job. you're better off paying close attention to what recruiters are looking out for when hiring.
Talk to experienced engineers:This is advice i wish i had early on in my career. Having a good mentor to guide you helps save you from making unecessary mistakes. Its kind of like a cheat code since theyve already been exactly where you are and know how to get by. I would highly recommend you reach out to a few. Most if not all would be more than happy to help.
Join tech communities: Developers rarely work in isolation. If you wanna stand out, you're going to need to learn how to collaborate. If you don't have friends who are into the same kind of stuff you're into there are several online communities such as discord or X where you can meet and interact with others.
Conclusion
In the midst of all the chaos surrounding computer science as a discipline. I strongly believe that having strong understanding of first principles and not getting distracted by hype bros would always give you an edge.
The goal isnt to be the most up to date developer, the goal is to become the developer who can learn what is needed when necessary.
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