03-008: What Does it Take to Become a Great Developer?

Whether you’ve been programming for years or if you’re just now learning how to code, it’s natural to ask yourself: what does it take to become a great developer?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. If you ask 100 experienced software engineers, you’ll get 100 different responses. Development is truly an art form, much like asking what makes a great artist.

Even though becoming a great developer may seem like a daunting task, there is a practical process you can follow to reach your development goals.

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🔑 Key Traits of Great Developers

After researching developers, reading blogs, and listening to podcasts, I found that great developers share six key traits. Below is an overview of these characteristics, along with strategies for incorporating them into your routine.

1️⃣ Working Through Difficult Features

The only way to improve as a developer is to work through challenging concepts. It’s easy to fall into a routine of repeating the same tasks, but this stagnates growth.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Growth happens outside your comfort zone.
• Work on challenging features like:
• Infinite scrolling
• Asynchronous notifications
• Multi-page authentication
• Research features on sites like Twitter, Airbnb, and Pinterest.

📖 In the book Peak, researchers found that elite performers in all fields improve only when they push beyond their comfort zones.

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2️⃣ Community Contribution

The open-source community has grown exponentially, with languages like Python and Ruby being developed by individuals, not corporations.

💡 Ways to Contribute:

• New developers → Help beginners by answering questions.
• Experienced developers → Build open-source tools or contribute to language development.
• Benefits → Writing code that others will review and use forces you to improve your skills.

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3️⃣ Artistry in Code

Development is not just about logic—it’s about crafting elegant, simple, and efficient solutions.

💡 Key Quotes:

• Sandi Metz: “Novice programmers don’t yet have the skills to write simple code.”
• Einstein: “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

💡 Strategy: The more you improve, the simpler your work should be.

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4️⃣ Craftsmanship

Taking pride in your work separates great developers from those who just “get the job done.”

💡 Balancing Quality vs. Perfection:

• Some developers treat coding as an assembly line task.
• Others treat their work as an art form.
• The balance: Code should be well-designed, but not over-engineered.

📖 Steve Jobs once said:

“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it.”

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5️⃣ Adapting to Change

One constant in software development is change. Great developers adapt to evolving requirements and maintain flexibility in their approach.

💡 Common Mistakes:

1. Rigid code design → Leads to major rewrites when features change.
2. Planning for the wrong future → Trying to predict future requirements often leads to unnecessary complexity.

💡 Solution:

• Write modular code with low coupling.
• Design features with flexible interfaces that allow for changes without breaking other parts of the system.

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6️⃣ Tireless Learning

Great developers never stop learning. No matter your experience level, there will always be new frameworks, languages, and processes to explore.

💡 How to Stay Sharp:

• Learn one new language/framework per year → Build a real-world project with it.
• Read books daily → Even short daily reading keeps your skills fresh.
• Follow advanced tutorials → Blogs and guides from experienced developers can expose you to new concepts.
• Subscribe to newsletters → Stay updated on changes in your favorite tech stacks (e.g., Ruby, JavaScript, Python).

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📌 Summary

Becoming a great developer is not about a single trait—it’s about consistently improving in multiple areas:

✔ Work through difficult challenges 💪
✔ Contribute to the community 🌍
✔ Write simple, elegant code 🎨
✔ Take pride in craftsmanship 🛠️
✔ Adapt to change 🔄
✔ Commit to lifelong learning 📚