As a frontend developer, I’ve made a fair share of mistakes and I believe they helped me grow. In this post, I want to openly reflect on the biggest ones, in hopes that they can guide someone else who’s on the same path.
🚫 1. Trying to Learn Everything at Once
I thought I needed to learn React, Angular, and Vue all together. That led to confusion and burnout. Eventually, I focused only on React not because it’s the best, but because depth matters more than breadth. Mastering one tool is better than being average in many.
🔁 2. Not Learning the Fundamentals First
I rushed into frameworks without understanding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript properly. That made things harder. Frameworks change, but core web technologies stay the same learn them first, always.
⌛ 3. Learning TypeScript Too Late
Once I started using TypeScript, I realized how much it improves the development process. If I could go back, I’d learn it earlier to catch errors faster and write better-structured code.
🧑💼 4. Trying to Build Side Projects Alone and Fast
I thought just coding quickly would lead to success. But building a side project involves UX, marketing, and user feedback too. Coding is only one part of the puzzle.
🔀 5. Working on Too Many Projects at Once
I tried juggling multiple side projects to increase my chances of success but ended up making none of them truly great. Focus wins over volume.
📉 6. Neglecting User Experience
UX isn’t only for designers. As frontend devs, we create interfaces. Learning the basics of UX helped me collaborate better and build more user-friendly products.
📚 7. Not Reading Documentation Thoroughly
I used to rely too heavily on YouTube or StackOverflow instead of going straight to the docs. Documentation is the best source of truth and helps you understand tools the right way.
🛠️ 8. Overengineering Simple Things
Early in my journey, I used overly complex solutions just to seem “smart.” Now I’ve learned: clean, simple code is more scalable and readable.
⚡ 9. Ignoring Performance and Accessibility
I didn’t care much about performance, accessibility, or even mobile responsiveness until I realized they directly impact the user. These things matter more than clever animations.
💬 10. Neglecting Soft Skills
Being a great dev isn’t just about writing code. Communicating clearly, understanding team dynamics, giving and receiving feedback these skills are just as important.
✅ Final Thoughts
Every developer makes mistakes, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to avoid them all, but to reflect, improve, and help others through what you’ve learned. Growth takes time and that’s part of the journey.
Image credit https://undraw.co/
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