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 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 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 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 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.
Be ready to explain your code Does the mere thought of explaining your code cause anxiety? Be confident! We should all understand what we're writing and why. It's an opportunity (for everyone) to learn!
What is a code review / pull request? Does the idea of submitting to a code review make you sweat bullets? Or do you brush it off as a necessary evil? It should be a (hopefully positive) conversation, wherein the team agrees to the code they're all going to have to help maintain, and maybe learns something new too.