Podcasts Technology Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats 11 Habits of Highly Effective Developers

11 Habits of Highly Effective Developers

Published: Sept. 12, 2018, 1 p.m.

In this episode Wes and Scott discuss 11 habits that will make you a better developer - everything from understanding the business goals behind your projects to maintaining work-life balance, staying curious, and developing empathy.

Freshbooks - Sponsor

Get a 30 day free trial of Freshbooks at\xa0freshbooks.com/syntax\xa0and put\xa0SYNTAX\xa0in the \u201cHow did you hear about us?\u201d section.

Sanity.io\xa0- Sponsor

Sanity.io\xa0is a real-time headless CMS with a fully customizable Content Studio built in React. Get up and running by typing\xa0npm i -g @sanity/cli && sanity init\xa0in your command line. Get an awesome supercharged free developer plan on\xa0sanity.io/syntax.

Show Notes

2:55 - You understand stakeholder and business goals

  • What is the website (or project) ultimately trying to accomplish?
  • How does the business make money?
  • Don\u2019t get caught up in your own \u201cmama drama\u201d about frameworks, but instead focus on how a particular framework will help achieve the end goal of the business

5:13 - You\u2019re curious and always learning

  • This industry is ever-changing and isn\u2019t slowing down

7:36 - You have an open mind about new technology

  • Don\u2019t \u201cpoopoo\u201d something because it\u2019s intimidating, new, scary or different
  • Like foods you\u2019ve never tried, sometimes something unusual turns out to be game changing

9:57 - You ask for help

  • #LifeHack - most people know more than you
  • Be comfortable with NOT knowing
  • Be comfortable with failing and with how others might perceive that
  • Check your ego at the door

15:35 - You help others

  • Helping others solidifies your own knowledge
  • Answering questions
  • Blogging
  • YouTube videos
  • Mentoring co-workers
  • Not offering unwanted advice

19:12 - You have a \u201cproblem solver\u201d mentality

  • General curiosity - figuring out why things aren\u2019t working
  • Break things down into testable components to pinpoint an issue
  • Have a clear head under pressure (e.g. interviews)

24:37 - You have fun with what you do

  • Enjoying challenges
  • Even if something isn\u2019t particularly fun, you find ways to make it fun and interesting

27:54 - You understand work-life balance

  • Burnout is huge in our industry
  • It can be difficult when you love what you do, but it\u2019s so important to maintain balance

34:00 - You are empathetic to your co-workers and users

  • Be a team players while getting things done
  • Make everyone around you better at what they do
  • Be someone others want to work with by being inclusive and professional
    • Don\u2019t make inappropriate jokes, put co-workers in a tough position, etc.

37:08 - You pay attention to detail

  • Think about edge cases

39:03 - You\u2019re part of the community

  • Local meetups / lunch and learn
  • Twitter #100daysofcode
  • Conferences
\xd7\xd7\xd7 SIIIIICK \xd7\xd7\xd7 PIIIICKS \xd7\xd7\xd7 Shameless Plugs Tweet us your tasty treats!