Three years ago, I started my journey as a frontend developer. Excited, confused, and curious. Since then, I’ve built real projects, made mistakes, joined a team, launched features, and evolved with the tools and trends.
Here’s what I’ve learned. Not just technically, but also mentally and professionally that I wish I knew from day one.
- 🎯 Focus Beats Curiosity When It Comes to Tech At the start, I tried to learn React, Vue, and Angular all at once thinking I had to know everything to be “good.”
But eventually, I realized: depth beats breadth.
Now, I’ve chosen React as my core tool and I continuously deepen my understanding of it while ignoring the pressure to chase every new trend.
- 🧱 Fundamentals Are Everything You can’t truly understand frameworks without knowing the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I skipped these early on, and it made working with frameworks more confusing than it needed to be.
Now I always recommend: start with the basics, then build upward.
- 🤖 Use AI as Your Pair Programmer In my early days, Stack Overflow was my second home. Now? ChatGPT, Cursor, and Copilot are part of my daily workflow.
I use AI to:
Debug errors
Generate utility functions
Review code
Speed up documentation
Learn unfamiliar concepts
But AI is a tool, not a crutch. You still need to understand and review what it gives you.
- ⌛ TypeScript is Worth the Effort I adopted TypeScript late and I wish I had started earlier. It felt overwhelming at first, but now it saves me from bugs, improves readability, and makes my codebase more scalable.
My advice? Start using TypeScript slowly, but stick with it. It’s a long-term win.
- 🧠 Tools Are Cool, but Mindset Matters More I’ve tried dozens of tools: Figma, Notion, VSCode, Todoist, Postman, Sentry, and more. But the real progress came from changing how I approach problems.
What matters most:
Clear thinking
Clean code
Consistency
Communicating with your team
🛠️ Simpler Code Is Better Code
Early on, I overengineered everything. I thought writing complex abstractions made me smart.
Now, I know: simple, readable code is the best code.⚡ Side Projects Are Not Just About Code
I used to think I could build a product alone just by coding fast. I learned the hard way that:
UX matters
Marketing matters
Validating ideas early matters
Solving real problems matters more than just “building something cool”
- 🧠 User Experience Should Be Every Frontend Dev’s Concern Even if you’re not a designer, learning UX basics will help you:
Build better interfaces
Collaborate better with designers
Avoid usability mistakes early
It’s not about becoming a designer it’s about becoming a better developer.
- 🚫 Don’t Work on Too Many Things at Once I tried juggling multiple side projects, hoping one would “work.” In reality? Spreading myself too thin led to burnout and unfinished work.
Now, I try to focus on one project at a time, give it my full attention, and iterate.
- 🧩 Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think It’s not just about writing code.
Communication, teamwork, giving feedback, and understanding product context are all crucial to being a well-rounded developer especially in a team.
✅ Final Thoughts
Three years in, I’m still learning every single day. But these are the lessons that have stuck the ones I didn’t learn from tutorials or documentation, but from real work, real mistakes, and real growth.
If you’re just starting out, I hope this helps. And if you’ve been in the game for a while let’s compare notes!
Top comments (10)
Three years of front-end development has made me realize that finding the right tools is the key to efficiency.
For example, when I use chatgot to process documents, I am able to quickly extract and summarize common problems and solutions, which helps me improve my work efficiency.
Exactly! I totally agree with you on ChatGPT. It’s amazing for quickly processing documents and extracting key insights.
Thanks for the tip—I'll definitely look into UX more. And how do you use TypeScript in your work? Do you type everything, or just what is needed so TypeScript doesn't complain?
You're welcome! I'm glad the tip was helpful. As for TypeScript, I try to strike a balance. I like to type everything that provides clear benefits, like functions, API responses, and component props. For some internal or utility code where types are less critical, I might rely on inferred types or just add basic types to avoid complaints, but I generally lean towards being explicit for better maintainability in the long run. How about you?
i am still trying to figure out the best way to use it, but i lean more towards inferred types and type only what is necessary, but i am thinking in be really explicit for a while so i can find a middle ground between the two the only problem with is that typescript is so freaking hard! haha
TypeScript can definitely feel challenging at first, but it gets easier as you start using it more consistently. Once you get the hang of it, TypeScript's power really shines through! Hang in there, it’s totally worth it in the long run. 😅
Really resonates with me, especially the point about AI as a pair programmer - it's become my secret weapon too. What’s your favorite way you use AI day to day?
I’m glad it resonated! AI has definitely become a game-changer for me as well. As for how I use it day-to-day, I lean on it for automating repetitive tasks, like generating code snippets or even debugging. It also helps a lot with brainstorming new ideas and fine-tuning my writing, whether it’s for blog posts or project documentation.
been cool seeing steady progress - it adds up. you think it’s habits or mindset that actually keep people improving even when the hype’s gone?
I totally agree. I think it’s a combination of both. Habits help maintain consistency, like setting aside time for learning or building projects, while mindset keeps you motivated even when the hype fades.