Today, I want to share an insight that's often overlooked but crucial for career growth in the tech world, especially for developers.

Staying Calm Under Pressure: The Mark of Experience

In our fast-paced and sometimes unpredictable field, outages and technical issues are inevitable. However, how we respond to these challenges can significantly impact both the situation and our professional development.

In this edition, I share a personal narrative that led me to an important realization about the nature of learning, especially in complex fields like programming.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the rise of no-code solutions like Airtable, Zapier, and Microsoft Power Automate is reshaping how we approach problem-solving and project management. 

For freelancers and aspiring developers, this shift opens up a world of opportunities – ones where technical know-how meets innovative thinking, minus the intricacies of traditional coding.

In the quest for organizational efficiency, understanding ‘Team Topologies’ can be your compass.

It’s not just about who is on a team, but how teams are structured, interact, and deliver value.

What Are Team Topologies?

Embarking on a career as a software engineer is both thrilling and challenging.

As you immerse yourself in the tech world, there’s a natural inclination to want to make a great impression, often leading many to say ‘yes’ to every task and challenge presented.

However, as you navigate these waters, it’s essential to recognize the value of a skill that might not be immediately apparent: the art of pushing back.

Scott’s idea is pretty straightforward but powerful: instead of being a rockstar in just one skill, why not get pretty good at a bunch of complementary skills?

Stack ‘em up to create your unique combo that sets you apart from the crowd.

Now, let’s bring it home to our turf, software engineering. Sure, coding is our bread and butter, but what if you spice it up with some project management skills, sprinkle a little UI/UX design expertise, and toss in a dash of data analytics know-how?

That’s a recipe for some serious awesomeness in the tech world. 

Today, I want to introduce you to a book that has profoundly influenced my perspective on software development: “The Software Craftsman” by Sandro Mancuso.

About the Book: 

“The Software Craftsman” delves into the heart of our profession, emphasizing the importance of honing one’s skills, nurturing a passion for continuous improvement, and adopting a mindset of mastery.

Sandro Mancuso doesn’t just talk about writing code; he speaks about crafting software with care, diligence, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. 

Ever heard the phrase "Sometimes, you've got to give a little to get a little"? Well, I've got a story for you today that shows just how true that can be!

Back when I was taking my baby steps, launching Dor's Coding School, let's just say my name wasn’t lighting up any marquees. 🌌

We've all been diving deep into our craft, mastering the ins and outs. 

But while we're busy sharpening our tools, there's this whole world of networking that packs a massive punch into our careers.

And guess what? There's some pretty solid data backing up the power of networking. 

Ever feel like the world is sprinting and you’re just trying to find the right pace? 

Well, Jeff Bezos once shared a nugget of wisdom that might just be the answer – think in a 7-year horizon rather than jumping at short-term opportunities. 

Dive Deep with a 7-Year Plan Bezos believes in embracing those daunting, long-term challenges that most people would rather not. 

Why? 

Ever tried something thinking it’d be a breeze, only to go, “Wait, this is HARD!”?

Let's chat about a cool story Jeff Bezos shared in 2018. He talked about a friend trying to nail a handstand. 

She thought she’d be a handstand guru in two weeks. Spoiler alert: she wasn’t. But here’s the kicker - she hired a handstand coach!

Today, I want to address a crucial aspect of the software development world that is often overlooked: the invisible nature of our work. 

Unlike a factory, where the production line and its progress are visible, the world of software development is abstract and invisible.

 It’s challenging to discern what someone is working on and to communicate that effectively to others.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that, like us, you have a profound appreciation for CS50 and the immense value it brings.

CS50 has been a cornerstone for many, providing a strong foundation in computer science and web development.

And it's probably the bridge that connected you to us.

One of the hardest things about learning to code is getting stuck.

Sure, if you are a Harvard student who has a TA at all times you can just go to office hours.

But for the rest of us mere mortals, we're often left grappling with confusing errors, endless debugging, sinking feeling of not knowing where to turn.

The reality though is that the faster you can get your answer asked the better you will learn and things clicked.

In the realm of software development, there's a tendency for programmers to believe that mastering more languages and frameworks is the sole path to excellence.

While technical skills are undeniably crucial, effective collaboration and efficient practices often outweigh knowing the next trending language.

Enter: The DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim.

Let’s say you followed our advice, focused on the fundamentals, did CS50 Python to CS50 Web and got a job as a developer.

Now what? What skills should you focus on to remain competitive in the industry and increment your value in the market?

To excel in your career and continually rise to new challenges, here are the top 10 technical skills you should focus on.

In our quest to transition into coding, every moment is precious. Today, I'd like to spotlight a strategy that's crucial to our success: the power of delegation.

In our day-to-day lives, we engage in numerous activities that, while necessary, do not directly contribute to our professional growth or coding skills. 

Tasks such as cooking, cleaning, managing appointments, and even routine administrative work are integral to our routines but can cost significant time and energy.

What if we could reclaim that time and invest it in our journey towards coding proficiency?

There's an old saying we're all familiar with - "Rome wasn't built in a day." It's a constant reminder of the value of time, meticulous planning, and dedicated effort.

In the realm of project management, it's the difference between quick fixes and lasting solutions. This leads us to today's main topic - Scrum, a seemingly simple but often misunderstood framework.
 

Scrum is a type of Agile project management that has been around for a few decades now. Despite its longevity, it's surprising to note that many companies struggle to implement it correctly.

Today, we're diving into a topic that might ruffle some feathers but is essential to understand: why code doesn't matter that much. That's right! As surprising as it may sound, code is not always the be-all and end-all of problem-solving.
 

As developers and tech enthusiasts, we often get carried away with the intricacies of code, languages, and frameworks. But let's take a step back and think about why we code in the first place. 

The primary goal is to solve problems, provide value, and make people's lives easier. That's what we should focus on first and foremost.

Today, let's discuss a vital lesson from Michael Seibel, a partner at Y Combinator, the renowned startup accelerator behind companies like Airbnb and Dropbox. He said, "If it takes more than a month, it's not an MVP."

An MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is a scaled-down version of your product with essential features. Its purpose? Test assumptions, gather feedback, and learn fast.

Why one month? Here's why:

Before the launch of ChatGPT on November 2022, acquiring knowledge was a time-consuming and expensive endeavour. 

For example, if you wanted to learn about the mining industry, you'd likely spend hours navigating from one link to another, often without making much progress. 

Maybe get some books on Amazon or watch some random tutorials on the internet

The reality is the cost of gathering information was simply too high.

You’d have to hire a consultant or most likely, just give up, if you wanted to open a business in say, the mining industry.

Today, I want to discuss an issue I see often with programming students: shifting our mindset from thinking like a scholar to becoming a problem solver. 

Our education system trains us to be scholars who read and can quote multiple books and algorithms.

But the real market rewards problem solvers.

If you can quote an obscure algorithm but can’t solve real problems, you are not a programmer you are a scholar.

We’ve been running a survey with our subscribers to better understand their biggest struggles when learning how to code and two things keep showing up over and over again:

Lack of a clear path from beginner to advanced and being stuck in a problem or concept without any help, causing loss of motivation.

This makes sense.

When starting your coding journey, the sheer amount of information out there can be overwhelming.

A lot of people ask me why I made the change from Chemical Engineering to programming.

The reason is that 2 hours a day can completely change your life.

2 hours is the time that my fellow engineers  spend on commuting every single day to work.

They work in factories so they have to be there, there is no way out. That is true for a lot of careers, not only engineering.

But now think about all the things they could do if they got those 2 hours back?

I used to procrastinate a lot in the past.

I think procrastination often comes from a place of not trying to face the reality that whatever you need to do, that thing will be hard.

And if you don't do it, you won't have to go through the pain.

Pain can be learning a skill that you will not be good at for a long time. 

When I was a kid, my father used to say that Education is the only thing that no one can take away from you and is the best investment one can make.

Like most people from his generation, he often associated education with a piece of paper. Most people around the world, especially in the US, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this belief.

But as time went by I started realizing that this is not really true.

The most valuable thing that you have that no one can really take away is not your education but your skills.

I wanted to share my thoughts on two popular resources for learning coding - CS50 and Odin Project.

Both CS50 and Odin Project are great resources for anyone looking to learn how to code. However, there are some important differences between the two that are worth considering.

Odin Project assumes that you have a basic foundation in coding and that you are an independent learner. It is a fantastic resource for those who are looking to become proficient in React, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

As we all know, the rise of online education platforms and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) has made learning new technologies and programming languages easier than ever.

However, MOOCs have yet to fully replace traditional universities, and there's a reason for that.

Despite offering a wide range of courses and the convenience of learning from anywhere, the lack of a competitive environment is one of the reasons for this.

Luck is an often-overlooked aspect of success, but it plays a significant role in our personal and professional lives.

While hard work is important, acknowledging the role of luck can help us create a more intentional approach to seeking out opportunities.

Here are some techniques that you can use to engineer luck as you learn how to code and enter a new career path.

Remember the days when learning was effortless and fun? ChatGPT brings back that feeling by revolutionizing the way you learn.

ChatGPT allows you to ask any question, no matter how simple or complex, with the confidence that you'll receive a thoughtful and accurate response.

In the past, many people have felt hesitant to ask questions in a traditional classroom setting. 

They may have been afraid of being judged or misunderstood, and feared that their question may seem "stupid" to their peers or teacher. This hesitancy to ask questions can impede learning and limit a student's potential. 

One of the most commonly neglected topics for new programmers is tech debt. But what is tech debt?

The best way to understand it is by looking into how debt works in the first place. When you get a small loan from a bank you have to pay it back with interest. If you forget to pay the loan for one or two months not much will happen.  However, as time goes by, the money you start owing increases exponentially. Soon that small loan snowballs into an unpayable amount of money.

That same is true about code.

Jeff Bezos in a Harvard Business Review article raised a very interesting point. He said that he is often asked by people 'What's going to change in the next 10 years?' 

And that is a very interesting question.

But he never gets asked 'What's not going to change in the next 10 years?'

In chemistry, there is this idea of Activation Energy. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to get started. For example, turning the key causes a spark that activates gasoline burning in the engine. Without the energy of the spark, the car does not start.

Doing hard things in life also requires a certain activation energy. Coding is one of them.

What is the most underrated programming language? Is it Python? Maybe Javascript? 

Learning this has the potential of making you learn other languages way faster in the future. And anyone, at any age, can learn it.

So what is it? What is this legendary programming language that will take your learning to the next level?

There is no denying that we live in a society that dislikes quitters. “Winners never quit and quitters never win” the saying goes. But is that really the case?

In her most recent book,  "Quit: The Power of Knowing When To Walk Away", the author Annie Duke makes an interesting case on why knowing when to quit is a critical skill for any successful individual or business.

But why is quitting so important?

Since the 90s, journalists and Redditors alike have been predicting the outsourcing of programming jobs to India. This has happened to a certain extent, but salaries and opportunities continue growing in the US and Europe.

Why is that? Why programmers, who often don’t even have a bachelor’s degree, can often command as much money as a doctor who has to put in at least 10 years of study?

Many people that have no experience with coding believe that the way to go is to learn multiple languages at the same time or that if think that if they pick the wrong one when they start that they might be making a big mistake. The truth is, for beginners, it doesn’t really matter. The most important thing you should be focusing on is learning the core concepts.

In 2009 I watched a lecture by Bill Gates explaining how MOOCs would revolutionize the world of education. By having the best courses in the world freely available online one wouldn’t need to go to their local class and get a subpar education. Instead, you could, without taking your pajamas off, grab a cup of coffee, and start working on MIT problem sets on any topic you wanted. I was blown away by the quality and quantity of courses I could now take for free with the best of their craft.

Which podcasts should you be listening to as a programmer? As I criteria I picked podcasters who frequently have as guests important figures in technology and who conduct fascinating conversations, avoiding the common cliches that are common in traditional media. By listening to them, you will not only understand more about tech but also expand your knowledge base and get acquainted with the movers and shakers of our era.

Everything you want to learn is available right now on the Internet. That is unprecedented. A couple of decades ago, information was concentrated in a few key institutions or people, such as Universities, libraries, professors, or masters of a craft. In a certain way, the Internet has given rise to the true democratization of information, something that no other medium of information has provided in the past. The only thing standing between you and learning how to code or starting a business is your willpower and consistent effort.