In the next few weeks, I’ll explore with you how to choose a developer path: from technical deep dives to people leadership, and everything in between. Whether you’re at a fork in the road or just getting curious, this series is for you. Week 1 will be about exploring (experimentation, choosing a growth theme), Week 2 we'll focus on becoming visible and taking initiative, while the final week is about claiming growth (or moving away) and choosing your own path. Join me on this journey!
The Problem: Too Many Options, Not Enough Clarity
Ever feel like you’re supposed to have a 5-year plan but you’re just trying to get through the sprint?
Same.
The developer world is full of advice:
"Go deep on systems!"
"Mentor more!"
"Learn Rust!"
"Become a Tech Lead!"
It can feel exhausting. I know it felt like that for me.
What helped me a lot in getting a clear sense of direction wasn’t chasing a title.
It was this:
Picking a growth theme.
What’s a Growth Theme?
It’s one focus area you’ll explore for 2–3 months.
Not for forever, not a commitment you can't move away from if it does not give you energy, just...a direction.
A growth theme gives your curiosity structure.
Examples:
- Mentorship: pair with juniors, run a feedback session
- Testing: improve coverage, add missing tests, teach others
- Communication: write better PRs, present internal demos
- Architecture: study patterns, refactor a legacy component
- Developer Experience: improve tooling, docs, onboarding
How It Helped Me
When I picked accessibility as a theme, I:
- Audited main flows of a customer and suggested an improvement plan
- Shared learnings in a lunch session with peers
- Pushed for an a11y committee on the project
- Mentored others on simple, quick wins
It wasn’t about becoming an a11y expert.
It was about getting curious, adding value, and seeing what stuck.
Why It Works
A growth theme:
- Gives focus without pressure
- Makes feedback more intentional
- Creates visibility through action
- Reveals where your energy flows
You stop asking “Where should I go?”
And start asking, “What do I want to learn next?”
Final Thought
You don’t have to map your whole career. Just pick a direction for this season.
Choose one theme. Apply it at work. Share what you learn.
That’s how you grow: not by planning, but by doing.
💬 What would your growth theme be this month?
In case you want more guidance: I'm now offering free 30-minute coaching calls for developers who want to grow (whether you're junior, medior, or senior). In this call, we’ll talk about your current situation, challenges you're facing, and where you want to go next. You'll receive tailored advice specific to your goals and concrete next steps. No catch. Just me, helping you grow.
👉 Book your free call here: https://calendly.com/tim-lorent/free-30-minute-growth-call-for-developers
Speaking of free guidance: download my Free Developer Growth Kit — 3 Practical Guides to Grow from Coder to Leader. It gives you practical tools to level up your skills, mindset, and workflow, without burning out or guessing your next step.
Or if you’re ready to take the next step: check out my book From Hello World to Team Lead or the developer platform for career growth Campfires.dev. 20% of all revenue from the book and coaching will be donated to tech charities like TechMeUp, SheSharp, GirlCode, HackYourFuture.
Top comments (6)
pretty cool, picking one thing to dig into actually sounds way less stressful than trying to plan everything - you think the theme you pick says something about what you actually care about most right now?
@nathan_tarbert absolutely! At the time I cared a lot about improving my a11y skills so I focused on that topic. It resulted in being able to do a live webinar on accessibility with a co-worker, still one of my proudest career moments!
I completely understand, in web development there’s so much different technologies that I don’t know where to begin.
@iesnunes I can definitely relate to that! Especially in the beginning I thought I had to know it all and got so anxious about it, thinking I would never be able to do it. Once you realize there are certain areas you naturally gravitate towards it becomes a lot better.
Do you struggle with that at the moment and is there anything I can do to help you gain some focus?
Thank you for the response! I’m starting my career and also in a new project. Although I’m happy with it, still nervous to not live up to everyone's expectations.
@iesnunes That's really exciting, starting your career and a new project too! I literally today said out loud that I set a lot of high expectations for myself and feel like I need to perform well, but the company said "don't worry, you're still onboarding"!
Feeling nervous about meeting expectations can be a good thing, as long as it stays healthy and it motivates you to learn and work hard. If it starts to paralyze you and interfere with work...not so much. I think it really helps to set the expectations and communicate clearly about it: find out what they expect from you. It goes both ways though, because you can also have expectations of the company and/or project. Setting them straight might help with the nerves!
Are there any other developers you can talk to about expectations?
If you need any guidance about this new phase in your life, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn! My DMs are always open: linkedin.com/in/timlorent/?locale=....
I also have a free Developer Growth Kit that might help you or if you're up for it you can get on a free 30-minute Developer Growth Call call with me! No pressure, just explore when you're ready.
Good luck with the project, you got this!