Programming is 50% technical, 50% how you think and behave

Programming is 50% technical, 50% how you think and behave

Gone are the days where you can be a genius in the corner coding. Whether you're on your own or working as part of a team, the game has become more complex. Everyone has to have soft skills.

Great programming isn't just about remembering syntax, how many languages you know, or even how fast you type. It's about how you think. That's what landed my big jobs, Meta included. It's how you approach a problem and whether you're thinking beyond the current task. Are you fixing something or creating future problems? Can you understand problems and effectively communicate with stakeholders?

Here are the 8 thinking habits that actually matter:

1. Computational thinking — It's not magic. It's asking: what needs to happen, what are the steps, what repeats, what can I ignore? If you can think clearly, you can code.

2. Breaking problems down — Don't try to build the whole thing at once. Break it into the smallest possible steps and solve them one at a time. That's how real systems get built.

3. Spotting patterns — When you notice something repeating, you can reuse it instead of rewriting it. Cleaner code, less debugging, more time saved.

4. Abstraction — Focus on what something does, not every internal detail. Frameworks and libraries exist so you don't have to rebuild everything from scratch. Use them.

5. Writing pseudocode — Plan before you code. Write your logic in plain English first. It saves you from messy refactors and hours of confusion later.

6. The debugging mindset — Bugs are not proof you're incapable. They're feedback. Read the error, understand the context, test one thing at a time. Stay calm. Every bug teaches you something.

7. How programmers actually solve problems — Gather context first. Read the errors. Review documentation. Ask questions. Isolate one issue at a time. Sometimes stepping away briefly is the smartest move you can make.

8. Common thinking traps — You don't need a degree. You don't need to know every language. Stop comparing your beginning to someone else's middle. Focus on progress and clear thinking.

I know programming and tech can be intimidating but remember everyone in this is human. Even the best of us. So don't compare yourself just yet. Debugging can be tough, but like any muscle you can get stronger with patience and right thinking. My goal is to teach people about the philosophy of coding as best I can. I'm still learning too, trust me.

I wrote this guide, How To Think Like A Programmer, for beginners and anyone who wants to get better. Get it here: https://tekisolves.gumroad.com/l/hrdtoh

Thanks for reading.