DEV Community: Bruno Souza

Unusual boat story: practical advice to unlock your Career

Bruno Souza — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 03:09:43 +0000

My company does not use new tech.
My boss does not give me time to learn things.
My colleagues don’t do their part, I can’t do mine either!
My family activities take too much time, I can’t focus on my career.

Are you always stuck because others don’t do their part? Do you have great potential but it is never unleashed because someone else is not doing something? Maybe what they are doing prevents you from growing?

An old Taoist parable about a crash of boats in the river can help us think about our careers.

It originally talks about anger.

But I think it is all about responsibility.

And what better moment to think about that than riding a boat on the seashore of Florida’s Jacksonville, the following day of JaxJUG meetup?

What can YOU do — even if something small — that would be YOUR responsibility, that would move YOU forward?

What can YOU stop blaming on others, that could get YOUR career going in the right direction?

Do you have something that you can’t see a way out? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll help you find a way to get moving again!

Video transcript:

[00:00:01.520] I’m here in Jacksonville, Florida, with a bunch of very cool people. Hey, everyone says hello! And right here at this amazing boat, amazing scenery, everything. I was thinking about your career. And the things that we have to think about in our career. And there’s a story that goes more or less like this.

[00:00:27.620] The guy was going up the river and there’s a boat coming towards him.

[00:00:33.000] And he saw… Oh that boat’s going to hit me. So he starts to yell at the boat, get out, move to another direction. You gonna hit me. And the boat just kept coming in his direction. So he kept yelling out, get out of here, you stupid. You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re going to hit me. And the boat just came towards him and, he kept yelling and complaining and the boat just came and hit him.

[00:00:57.010] So he was really mad. And he jumped at the other boat like, No, you guys are crazy. You hit me!

[00:01:02.300] He looked around and the boat was empty.

[00:01:05.410] So that’s one thing for you. The boat is always empty. You can’t just complain about life and think other people should be doing it. Should change their course, should do anything. You are the one in control. Go ahead. Do whatever you can. Move your boat, go do your stuff.

[00:01:28.240] And if other people can help you out, that’s great. But it is your responsibility.

[00:01:32.890] So careers are always like this. It’s our responsibility to get our career moving.

[00:01:38.170] This is Bruno Souza directly from Jacksonville. And we are here talking about the developer career. Thanks.

How to Prepare Your Career for a Post-Pandemic World

Bruno Souza — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 22:06:43 +0000

Max Levchin, the co-founder of PayPal, has shared his thoughts on the startup market during the current crisis. Max says that “this is the time to hunker down, go 10,000 feet below ground and build something truly amazing”.

This also applies to your career. This is the time to get prepared!

While I was thinking of how to “hunker down and build something amazing”, I read an article on Harvard Business Review (HBR) about preparing your business for a post-pandemic world.

Yes, both articles are about business…
But…
Your career is already your business!

Paraphrasing all those authors, this is the time to hunker down, go 10,000 feet bellow ground, and strategically build a truly amazing career.

How can you start doing this now?

Take out your preferred note-taking device, and together we will create YOUR strategy for a truly amazing career!

In the HBR article, Carsten Pedersen and Thomas Ritter propose a 5 Ps framework for strategic planning: Position, Plan, Perspective, Projects, and Preparedness.

Let’s apply those principles to our careers.

But first…
I know this is a bit cliche…
But just reading this post will do nothing for your career.
You need to spend time answering the questions below.
You will build something truly amazing!

1. [Position] What position can you attain during and after the pandemic?

The best way to grow your career is to put yourself in a position of trust. To become what we call a “trusted advisor” for someone.

A trusted advisor is the person we call when we have a problem. When we need to make a decision.

When people trust you BEFORE they need you, they will call YOU when they need the help you can provide.

When you are a trusted advisor, people will call you for great positions FIRST (lower or even no competition), because they trust you.

This is true for positioning yourself for a new job, a new position in your company, leading a team, consulting, freelancing, speaking, and much more.

And… The best way to become a trusted advisor is to help people. People that you help, will see you as a person that can be trusted on that topic.

During the pandemic:

How can you help others? What knowledge you have, things you like, or experiences you live, that could be helpful to others?

How can you use your time now to help them? Can you create content (articles, videos, emails), answer questions, mentor, or teach something to someone?

How can you be a trusted advisor in your area? What are challenges, problems or frustrations people have in your field of work, or on your city or company, that you could help them with?

After the pandemic:

What positions would you like to reach after things go back to a more normal life?

Who can you help, that would get you closer to the position you are looking for? If you want to become a Java developer working with Cloud Computing, helping other Java developers to learn Cloud Computing can be a great way to create trust.

What position of trust can you create for yourself now, maybe with friends and family, in your company, or online in social media, that would take you closer to what you want?

2. [Plan] What is your plan for bouncing back?

Every crisis creates a level of uncertainty that is hard to cope with. The fact that this pandemic is worldwide, the uncertainty gets close to unbearable.

The fear comes from the real possibility of losing a job, reduced income, getting sick. Not to mention the potential for the widespread economic disaster that can affect others in your family, and create difficulties even if it does not affect your job or position.

Maybe all is good for you now, but it may not be soon… And that’s scary!

You need a plan.

Imagine for a few minutes the worst problems. You losing your job. Others in your family having problems. Your customers disappearing.

I know, it is a chilling thought… We try to shy away from it. But it’s important to consider the possibilities, to have a plan to bounce back.

If it helps, consider small increments of hardship, by imagining different scenarios, in increasing orders of difficulties.

Now… Create a plan to bounce back from those scenarios!

For each scenario, how can you deal with the situation?
How can you use your time to be ready, better, improved?
What are the skills you can work on now, that will help you later?
What are the resources you can use to invest in yourself now?
Are there habits and routines you can start building right away that will be useful later?

3. [Perspective] How will your identity change?

Once you start to become a trusted advisor to people, your career identity will change. You will see yourself differently. The market will see you differently.

Now is a good time to think about this change and prepare yourself for it. You want to position yourself in a way that is comfortable and aligned with your values.

The most important thing to create this new identity is having a clear focus. Many people are afraid of focusing because we tend to be afraid of missing things.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Focus is not about choosing (or ignoring) the technologies or the amazing tools that came out at a fast pace in our industry.

Focus is about choosing the most important problems we want to solve!

And, solving problems is the best way to help people.

Now is the perfect time to imagine who you will become, what identity you want to create for your career. What is the biggest problem you want to be respected for solving?

What type of problems are you interested in solving? Be specific.
What results can you bring for your company and others?
What results can you help other developers achieve?

Who do you need to become to solve those problems?
What skills and knowledge you need to acquire?
Who needs to know that you solve that?

4. [Projects] What new projects do you need to launch or participate in?

Now that you have a better idea of who you want to become, the problems you want to solve, and the tranquility that you can overcome the worst scenarios, it’s time to use that clarity to take steps to advance your career.

Your objective is not to spend time learning a lot of things. Learning is not the goal: it is all about the skills.

And the best way to acquire the right skills is to do things. For us, as software developers, do projects.

This is the time to, based on the clarity you got, choose projects to launch or to participate, that will move you closer to your plans.

What small projects can you build that will give you the necessary skills?
How can you set a daily routine to work on those projects?
Can you join existing projects with others?
Open source projects?
Education projects?
Charity projects?

Maybe this is a good moment to create a small product? You can do that solving someone’s real problem.

5. [Preparedness] How prepared are you to execute your plans and projects?

This is the time to execute your plan, and you need to make sure you are prepared.

Be honest with yourself.

Evaluate what you have and how ready you are. Identify what is missing.

Prepare yourself. Ask for help. Hire mentors or training if you need it.

Invest in yourself and your plan. If or when the problems caused by the pandemic hit, you will be prepared and will be way better off for being ready.

And… If the problems turn out to be smaller then you imagined… You will be MUCH better off and ready to go after even bigger goals!

What you have that is already enough for your plans?
Are there things you can improve so you are ready?
What is missing that you should prepare?
Do you need specific knowledge?
Any mentors you can contact?
Need some help or support?
Skills you need to build?
Training to attend?

Conclusion

With the 5 Ps, you are thinking strategically, and preparing yourself for the post-pandemic world.

Those that wait to see and have no plan will leave their careers to chance, and this may prove to be a risk that is not worth it.

But you, that made this exercise here, you are prepared and will come out of this situation better off.

Making your Best Year!

None of this matters if you don’t take action on the plan and strategy that you just created.

And... Taking action is unbelievably hard! Especially when we're talking about plans for the future.

To help you, I'll give you a gift, a FREE copy of my new book:

The Best Developer Year - 4 Steps to Take Action

This book will give you the tools for you to take action and create your best year!

(I'm giving it for free for a limited time. If you like it, I'd love it if you could leave a comment below about it!)

So... Where do YOU want to be once this pandemic is over? Share with us, and I'll help you achieve your goals!

5 Leadership Skills for Your Development Project that I learned watching Eliud Kipchoge run

Bruno Souza — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 20:59:41 +0000

I just heard on the news an amazing lesson on leadership, that you can apply to your life, your software project, and even to your product that you may be creating.

The Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke the record that many had considered impossible: run a marathon (42 km) in less than 2 hours.

What can Kipchoge’s record-breaking teach us about leadership?

This was not an ordinary run, and it is not even an official record. The whole thing was planned to give Kipchoge the higher speed possible.

The news program I watched this on, Jornal Hoje, mentioned 5 things that made this possible:

5- Support Team – 40 professional athletes (including some that won Olympic medals) run with Kipchoge, taking turns to protect him from the wind.
4- Best Path – Kipchoge run an exact path, traced by a laser in front of him, so he could follow the best path to run the 42 km.
3- Environment – the run was done in a specific place in Vienna, flat, protected from the wind, in a day with the exact weather and temperature.
2- On-demand resources – Kipchoge received hydration at specific moments during the run, handed to him by cyclists, so he didn’t have to stray from the path.
1- Tools – Kipchoge used experimental tennis shoes, with a 3 tiered sole, that was created to give maximum speed to runners.

Again: the whole thing was engineered to give Kipchoge the maximum results.

He did the run, but someone was planning so he could extract every last second from his efforts.

What are the skills of a Leader?

YOU can help YOUR TEAM (project, company, colleagues…) to extract their best with the same ideas!

(And, if you want, you can even apply this to a product, and help your customers!)

5- Support team – in your network, look for friends and partners that can help your team. Build a support community in your company. Promote sharing inside the team. Bring in the best support they need.
4- Best Path – this is where you can shine! Your experience, the problems you faced, the expertise you have can help your team to follow a winning path. Share with them. Show a clear and efficient path for success.
3- Environment – build an environment that promotes results, and that gets your team focused on the task. Help your team build the correct environment. Remove the obstacles before your team has to deal with them, so they have a free path ahead.
2- On-demand resources – Make sure your team has the resources needed. But, get the exact information on the right time your team needs. Don’t overwhelm people with loads of stuff at the wrong time.
1- Tools – provide all the tools your team needs to do the work and reach their goals. Build specific tools for your team or for the project, so they can reach their full potential.

When we hear how much effort was put to prepare the race, it is easy to think: “so you are saying that Kipchoge got it easy?”

This is a common mistake a leader makes, the idea that the team has to handle everything, it is their problem, we don’t need to make it easy.

But it is NOT easy!

Kipchoge had to run each kilometer in less 2 min 50s, and keep this breathtaking pace for the 42 km of the challenge. It is unbelievably hard (impossible many said!). He even failed the last time he tried.

The job of a software developer, even more of a team, is not easy.

But if they lack the support they need,
if they follow unclear goals and paths,
get bogged down by company-created obstacles,
if they are dumped with useless resources or don’t have any,
if they are working with outdated or inefficient tools…

You are not making just their lives hard. You are making it impossible for them to succeed. And if they don’t succeed, the project, the company fails too.

As a leader…

You can help your team be the best runner in the world, even if you yourself are not.
It is the leader’s work to think about what your team needs to do their BEST job!
You can’t run for your team. Nor train for them. But you CAN and SHOULD eliminate the obstacles by thinking ahead.
Help your team do their best work. Don’t do a half-baked job. Give everything you’ve got.

If you practice the skills needed to get your team working at full speed, they will do the impossible.

What other things you think you can help your team with so they succeed? Leave a comment below, and let’s improve our leadership skills together!

To be a Better Developer, Develop Better Skills

Bruno Souza — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:42:47 +0000

You do want to get better. Work on amazing projects. Solve larger problems, even make more money and improve the world!

So you learn new things.

You study.
You read books.
You read blogs and watch YouTube videos.
You follow tutorials and online courses.

It all takes a lot of time…

But…

How much time do you spend trying something for yourself, in a real (even if small), project?

I don’t mean trying things following a tutorial. A real project. Solving some kind of problem.

When we spend more time learning and less time developing, we are missing a BIG opportunity.

I understand…

When you learn something, it gives you a good feeling.
Things make sense.

You feel powerful, making progress. Like you are getting better!

But when you go to apply them, it is another story…

You feel bad. You try and it does not work. You feel stupid, incompetent… Like you are not moving…

When you acquire skills, you make mistakes, it feels wrong. But only when it feels wrong you are actually acquiring skills!
This is the paradox of skills…

Here is the thing…

The only thing that matters is acquiring and improving skills.

Learning for the sake of learning is totally overrated.

The only thing that changes your brain is applying. Is acquiring skills.

But…

Acquiring skills is a biological process…
Pretty much like acquiring muscles in the gym…

It is uncomfortable.
It takes time…
We feel pain…
We feel stupid… Like it is not working.

But… It is the ONLY thing that works.

Learning feels good. Because it makes sense.
Learning is like riding a bike in the park on weekends. It feels good indeed.

But does not improve our muscles. (Ok, ok, it does a little bit, but not enough for you to become strong!)

If you want to be a great developer, you need to build great muscles.

I mean… Great skills!

So… There are 3 things about skills that every developer needs to understand.

One we already said above…

It is ALL about Skills. Not learning.

And skills only improve when you DO THINGS.

It is better to do a few things, and have great skills, then to try to learn many things…

No Limits.

The second thing you need to understand about skills:

Science has not discovered the LIMITS of our skills yet!

That means: you can ALWAYS get better. You can always go one level up.

But for that, you need to practice.

And not only practice. You need to practice with the deliberate intent of improving the skill.

Deliberate practice is a practice that forces you a little bit more. Every day.

Deliberate practice is not about learning, it is about doing. Improving a specific skill.

Like, reading code that you don’t quite understand. Every. Day. And then going for something a bit harder tomorrow.

That gets to our third point…

Different types of skills need different types of practice.

So, to practice correctly, you have to understand what type of skill you are trying to acquire.

The good news is that there are only two types:

Hard Skills.
And Soft Skills.

I know you’ve heard that hard skills are the technical ones.
And that soft skills are those annoying “people things” like communication and empathy.

That’s very misleading. Deeply so…

And this misconception it is preventing you from becoming a great developer!

Yes, hard skills are “technical” skills.

But NOT on the sense we developers talk about technical!!!!!

We say hard skills are technical because they are about techniques. Not technical as in technology…

Hard skills are PRECISE skills.

Skills that you apply EXACTLY the same way.
Every time.

Like hitting a chord on a guitar. Or that exact feet movement when flipping your skateboard in the air. Or… The precise movement of your fingers when typing on the keyboard. Or even the precise way you have to write statements in a programming language.

Hard skills you improve by applying a technique (so we call them “technical skills”).

Precisely. The same thing. Over and over. And over again.
Until it gets ingrained in your brain, and you stop thinking about it…

I know what you are thinking right now…

But Bruno… What I do every day, it is not usually precise, nor exact. I can’t just stop thinking about it. It changes all the time!

Yep. Because what you do as a software developer is mostly a Soft Skill…

Soft Skills have nothing to do with communication or empathy. Although dealing with people is generally a soft skill, soft skills are not dealing with people…

We call them Soft Skills because they are malleable. Fuzzy. Different.

Every time we apply them, they change. And adapt.

Soft Skills are “pattern matching” skills. You adjust and apply things differently depending on the situation you are at.

Like presenting at a rock concert. You don’t mindlessly play your guitar, but you connect with your audience. Or skating with friends down the street. You are constantly adjusting your speed and deciding which maneuver to do to overcome the obstacles.

Or… Software Development…

You are constantly changing course, adapting, trying different strategies to solve problems.

Software development is deeply “technical” (and people associate with “hard skills”), but it is not a technique…

Software development is a SOFT skill.

And the only way to learn soft skills?

Put yourself in different situations, that forces you to apply the skill differently.

Maybe you are one of the many developers that used to think software development is a hard skill. That leads to a big problem: trying to improve a soft skill, by applying hard skills methods to it.

We think that if we aimless repeat things many times — we call that practice — we will be better developers.

No.

We only get better if we deliberately force ourselves to improve the right skills.

Every.
Day.

You can always be better at development by developing better skills.

Anything meaningful that you do is a combination of hard and soft skills.

And you only develop skills by doing the right things for each skill.

And not simply doing, but doing a bit harder than before.

That’s uncomfortable and painful…

So, here is the recipe to be a better developer:

Shy away from the easy “learning path”. Learning gives you good feelings but is of limited use.
Focus on doing things. It is uncomfortable, we feel stupid and incompetent, but it also is the only thing that works. Apply “just-in-time” learning. Don’t learn in hopes to do it one day. Do it. And when stuck, learn enough to keep doing. Yes, this is hard! Very uncomfortable…
Think about which skills are “hard”, precise. They need technique and repetition. Repeat until it is ingrained. Until you do it without thinking. Obvious things are language skills, IDE shortcuts, git commands, keyboard.
Pay attention to which skills are “soft”, malleable. To improve on them you will need to put yourself in different situations. That’s also uncomfortable. Obvious things are applying technologies to problems, deciding on design patterns, code review.

Hmmm…

So the trick is to be uncomfortable?

Yes. But with a purpose. Deliberately.

Uncomfortable is not about pushing a new code experiment to production. It is not going to the rock concert to play a song you never played before. It is not learning a new flip at high speed at a steep hill…

Uncomfortable is not being reckless…

Uncomfortable is about jamming a new song with your friends. It is trying a more daring maneuver at low speed at a parking lot. It is having fun solving a small problem with new technology. Or rewriting a personal tool using the latest Java version.

Uncomfortable is painful and tiring. But is also good. And fun.
It is risky and adventurous!

Uncomfortable is about doing. And I wonder if there is any other profession that we can do so much with so little!

That’s why I love software development!

PS: Do you also love software development and want to be better at it? I’ll host a webinar on Saturday, December 21st. We will discuss issues around your software developer career, skills and being a better dev. Join me, and let’s get your career moving in 2020!

This post was originally published as part of the Java Advent series. If you like it, please spread the word by sharing, tweeting, FB and so on! Want to write for the Java Advent blog? We are looking for contributors to fill all 24 slots and would love to have your contribution! Contact Java Advent Admin to contribute!

6 Tips to Become a Senior Developer

Bruno Souza — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 20:11:39 +0000

Want to become a senior developer, or increase your seniority?

This is a common goal for developers. No wonder.

Becoming a senior will open up opportunities for you to work on interesting projects, create new challenges and even allows you to move to new companies if this is your desire.

Jakob Herrington, in a great dev.to post, interviewd Senior Engineer Ben Ilegbodu. Ben mentions 3 great Key Abilities developers should have to move up to a more senior position.

Inspired on their conversation, what are some practical things you can today to improve those key abilities?

Let's get started on the road to be a senior developer:

Key Ability #1: Develop quickly

Develop quickly is not only about writing code super fast. It is about writing correct code with consistency. That allows you to do it faster!

So the main thing is: get your brain trained to develop (correct) code.

Tip 1: Code Katas

To train your brain, a great suggestion is to run Code Katas. Those little coding exercises will create "muscular memory" for coding, pretty much like martial arts Katas create muscular memory for the fight moves.

(If you don't know what a Kata is, remember the Karate Kid movie... Paint up. Paint down. Paint up. Paint down. Or... Put the jacket on. Take the jacket off, depending on the version you watched!)

The repetition ingrains the move (or in our case, the coding) in your brain. And frees your brain to focus on the problem you are solving instead of on the mechanics of the language.

Schedule some time during your day to experiment with a kata. You need to repeat it several times, so it is better if you set time daily to do it. Then, just get started!

A great resource is: http://codekata.com/

Tip 2: The Keyboard

Another brain training technique is to get really good at the keyboard.

The keyboard is our main tool!

This may look too small a step to become a senior... But in reality, getting good at the keyboard will free yourself to focus on the important parts of development. The same way that being really good at the strings of a guitar frees the musician to focus on his performance and his audience.

What makes a musician "senior" is not the ability with the strings, it is his contact with the audience. But he can never focus on it if he is fumbling with his notes! What makes you a senior developer is not your ability with the keyboard. But if that holds you back, no way to get there!

There are many keyboard tutorials online, and I'm sure your favorite IDE and OS have many keyboard shortcuts.

15 minutes practicing this a day can make a huge difference. Choose one shortcut a day, and spend the whole day using it. Practice it while you are waiting for a build or a cloud machine to come up.

The more the basics are ingrained, the more your brain can focus on writing correct code.

Key Ability #2: Find the ideal solution

Finding the ideal solution is the ability to solve problems. More important: to solve the right problem!

This comes with experience, of course. But unfortunately, many developers just rely on experience to improve this. The issue here is that it may take many many years for you to be exposed to enough different projects and problems for you to develop this skill!

Let's turn the table: learning how to solve problems is a soft skill that needs practice, and you can practice it no matter what project you are working on.

Tip 3: Have an algorithm, and practice it

First, you need to really have a process, an algorithm, to solve problems. There are a few ways to approach problems, here is a good one that you can follow. Understand this process. Follow the steps. Make a checklist if you need.

Now... Practice it!

Look around you. When you commute to work. While you are watching a movie. When you walk for lunch. Try to spot problems -- any problem -- and try to solve them.

No, I don't mean that you should get late to the movie because you are trying to get the popcorn people to change the way they are serving customers... All you need to is to practice in your head! You need to train your brain.

Spot a problem. Propose a solution. Think it through. Shoot it down. Think of another solution.

There is always a reason why our solution is not ideal. Senior developers are capable of understanding this, and compromise or prioritize. Get your brain trained to see and propose solutions to problems.

Tip 4: Approach code problems with a method

We love technology, and the challenges excite us, right? But too often I see developers -- even senior ones -- that follow a deep rabbit hole trying to fix a problem. And it's the wrong problem...

Usually, because they didn't really understand the problem, to begin with. And they are not trying to fix the cause, but something else entirely... Valinda Chan says "You can’t solve a problem you don’t understand. There is a difference between the problem and the problem you think you are solving." Very true.

That's why it's important that you follow a method. Every time.

It's too easy to just skip something, and then -- many hours later -- we realize we are on the wrong path...

Valinda's 10 steps to solving a programming problem is a good start. Learn it. Use it. Adapt for yourself. Keep improving your problem-solving method.

Key Ability #3: Teach others and help others grow

I left this one for last because I think is the most important one. A senior developer is someone that makes the whole team better.

And nothing makes a team better better than helping the people in the team be better. So, be better at making others better!

Arg... But did you get the point?

You can improve yourself a lot. Practice a lot. Do code katas. Solve problems. But if people around you are not improving, then you are not really being a senior developer, and also, you are not growing as fast as you could.

Helping others to succeed is an important leadership skill. But, from all those abilities, it is also the most visible one. People will notice. And follow your lead.

That's how a senior you became.

Tip 5: Inspire people by expressing ideas clearly

A leader is someone that inspires others to achieve more. Inspire people by expressing clearly, and helping them face challenges and learn for themselves.

This translates into direct results. Explaining your ideas during a meeting or a presentation is not only great for your project, but it will be a big push for your career. People notice when you can express things clearly in writing and in speech.

When ideas, problems, challenges, proposals, solutions are clear, everyone's lives get better.

A very simple, but amazing technique to build this skill is the Feynman learning technique.

To put this in practice, choose something you already know. Apply the Feynman Technique to it, and explain to someone!

Tip 6: Share what you already know

I hear all the time from many developers that they want to help others by sharing. And that they will learn this or that and will start sharing.

Don't wait... Start now. Start small. Share what you already know!

Yes, you can learn and then share (some people even share to learn!). But this is overwhelming... It means you need to share something you are unsure about.

But people need what you already know! The knowledge and experience you already have are helpful! How about you start from there?

Make a point to teach this week to your co-workers something you already know. It can be a piece of code you wrote. A technology you learned recently or in the past. Maybe a talk you watched or a book you read. An experiment you did. Even a small tool or technique.

Nothing comes to mind? Teach them the 6 tips above!

Seriously. All you need is to get started. So, start with what you already have.

Your turn...

Jacob and Ben had a great discussion. They mentioned 3 of the 5 basic skills needed to become a great developer (in this webinar I talk about all 5 skills).

Now it's your turn...

What are your best tips to improve your development skills?

Share with us in the comments below, and you will be already applying tip #6!

PS: This is my first dev.to post, thanks Jacob and Ben for the inspiration. Go check their conversation at the devpath.fm podcast.

PS2: This post was originally created as this YouTube video, and also a twitter thread. Share with your friends!

PS3: Cover Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels