Intro
I would like to share my thoughts on a burning topic amongst most beginner-level engineers today. Most content these days creates excitement basing on FAANG companies (where one may never work, or need to work), cutting-edge frameworks (which one may never leverage / need to leverage), CS heavy content (for large scale apps), brain-boggling algorithms etc. But some of us really don’t need to wreck our minds to know about such things, at least not most of them if we are to thrive.
Confusion & Burnout
I know you have heard about the “imposter syndrome” which is a mandatory stage in the life of every developer. Bleeding-edge tech is released almost daily and thanks to our brain—which is not an input box to feed info into easily—cannot become a legendary coder by switching gears all the time. It has to go slow, enjoy the goodness of specialization, and leverage it to better solve real-world problems.
Emerging developers often keep feeling dissatisfied even with their excellent portfolio just because it still uses older tech stacks 😢 hence leading to learning burnout and decision paralysis as well on whether the career is even meant for them. Specialization and focus is key 🔑 😉
What SMEs care about
Most of them always prioritize more maintainable code over complicated new tech stacks, simplicity & reliability of code over “coolness” of the framework, and pocket-friendly approaches that keep consumer comfort first.
I am based in Uganda, East Africa, and I made a big mistake recently of creating a highly complex React-ChakraUI-based web application for a firm that simply needed a good hero-section for advertisement, a decent collection of beautifully styled HTML pages with instant loading that worked on the poorest network & oldest low-end devices, and what I did was completely disappointing. I don’t completely blame the tech-hype for this.
Stay focused on your needs, not on trends!
You need to know your exact market, actual skills that you will need the most and where to acquire them from. I personally avoid YouTube channels, blogs or newsletters emphasizing only on new tech (I don’t even understand well the jargon in it 😂). Rather, I follow up with people focused on real-world implementation of software skills, great communities, articles on status of SMEs & startups and project-based learning paths
Outro
I don’t criticize those acting contrary to the above terms. They may be fully focused on big tech standards & excellence in software development with the new tech. I just beseech you to understand your actual needs well. Updating yourself on modern trends occasionally is fine as these technologies are what come down to SMEs later on. It can also be quite motivating as well to see the future prospects of the industry you work in
As usual, please feel free to criticize, appreciate or share what you think about this.
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