Dev Life

Being a developer is generally a rewarding, interesting career path, but nothing comes without headaches! Here's some stories about the daily ups, downs, and in betweens I've experienced as a professional dev.

Time and mental energy are limited resources - use them wisely

Time and mental energy are limited resources - use them wisely

Learning, creating, and improving are all constants in software development. There's no reason to ever be bored in this field! But we do need to be careful about what commands our time and energy, because those are limited resources.

Enjoying the wins, accepting the losses

Enjoying the wins, accepting the losses

When our code isn't clicking, negativity can quickly overshadow all the positive. That's when we need to remember our victories!

What's taking so long? (a question every dev gets.. and even asks themselves)

What's taking so long? (a question every dev gets.. and even asks themselves)

Ever solved a problem, just to beat yourself up on how long it took? Me too. Maybe we need to spend more time making the invisible.. visible.

Beware the bite of the refactor bug

Beware the bite of the refactor bug

Refactoring code is part of the dev life, and can even help keep the code healthy, but going too far can do more harm than good. Ever after a decade of writing code, I still have to remind myself from time to time!

Sunk costs, timeboxing, and asking for help

Sunk costs, timeboxing, and asking for help

One of the biggest struggles I have with programming is knowing when to ask for help. A little struggle is necessary for growth, but when am I just wasting time when I could be learning from others?

Every software dev is a contractor

Every software dev is a contractor

Seeing my full-time job as a long-term contract has helped me improve and contribute, without taking things personally or falling into complacency.

Avoiding tribal knowledge in the programming world

Avoiding tribal knowledge in the programming world

When I was less skilled as a developer, it was enough to just stay afloat, learning what I needed for the current day or project. As my skill and confidence grows, I've come to appreciate the extra things in life - like a decent set of docs.