50 Essential Tips for Every Developer

Whether you are starting to program or you are twenty years into your career, there is something here for you. Enjoy!

1. You are never ready. That's the fun part.
2. Focus on one thing at a time.
3. Just start! You'll figure everything out automatically.
4. Build. Build. Build again.
5. Sleep is important.
6. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
7. Watching every tutorial won't make you a developer.
8. Writing your own code will make you a developer.
9. You only need the fundamentals.
10. Always plan your work.
11. Have other hobbies. If programming is your hobby, explore new fields.
12. Expect more from yourself than others will.
13. Take your time and write tests.
14. Read blog posts. Listen to podcasts. Subscribe to newsletters.
15. Learn to read the documentation.
16. Make a lot of mistakes.
17. Quit looking for perfection. If it works, it works.
18. If it works, touch it.
19. Take a break.
20. Connect with more people.
21. Pair program if you can.
22. Teach others what you know.
23. Look for mentorship. If you can mentor someone, do it.
24. Read more books. Fiction and Non-fiction.
25. If you honestly think you are bad, pretend you are a good programmer and never stop pretending.
26. Do not quit.
27. If the tools you use feel like magic, start digging in and see under the hood.
28. If you don't understand, copying is not the best idea.
29. Watch conference talks on YouTube.
30. Attend meetups and conferences too if you can.
31. Always be a team player unless you work as an independent person.
32. Readability is way more important than shortness.
33. Learn more what you like than what you think you should.
34. Find a balance between theory and practice.
35. Invest in your development setup.
36. Learn. Keyboard. Shortcuts.
37. Be consistent.
38. Try a new language.
39. Define your payment terms explicitly.
40. Enjoy your little winnings.
41. Don't be scared to show off your work.
42. Learn to comment your code.
43. Listen to advice but make your own decisions.
44. Support other developers. Sponsorships and the likes.
45. Learn from everything and everyone and never miss the opportunity to learn.
46. You should not be afraid to have simple solutions to simple problems.
47. Take care of your mental and physical health.
48. Try explaining concepts in writing and publishing.
49. At the end of it all, there is family.