I’ve been a coder since 2018. i wish someone told me these 8 things before i wasted years figuring them out the hard way. if you feel stuck or overwhelmed, let me help you save 7+ years. my name is Aleksei, and i’ve been a professional programmer for over 5 years. i help IT specialists and newcomers get into IT and grow their salaries by teaching them my unique techpreneur mindset.
you don't need to know everything
it's a myth that "real developers" have entire languages memorized. i used to think i had to know every built-in class in Java. every time i googled something, i felt like i was falling behind. but being a good developer is not about memorizing everything. it's about knowing how to find answers, think through problems, and talk about them clearly.
learn how to learn
i used to think learning to code meant just consuming courses and books. the truth is, actively building and creating, even if it's not perfect, is how you truly learn. i wish someone told me early on: first, make it; then, make it work; lastly, but not always necessary, learn how to make it the right way and make it pretty. that approach would have saved me a ton of time.
learn how you get evaluated
i think this is the most important one, and we focus on it a lot here in TechPreneur. i used to believe if i wrote perfect code, guarded our codebase from any mess, and was fast and efficient, i'd be the best and get promoted. but in reality, before evaluating me, my manager would watch me in meetings where i stayed quiet, or ask teammates with whom i didn’t actively build relationships. the more senior you get, the more important communication and people skills become. these abilities often matter more than just technical expertise. so start investing in them early.
perfection is a trap
striving for flawless code from the start is counterproductive. early on, i'd spend hours trying to find the best name for a class. i even left PR comments i didn’t like, slowing others down. every piece of code from experienced pros is driven by one basic question: "what is this work for?" shipping functional code, even if it's not perfect, helps you learn and improve faster.
you will never feel ready, start anyway
waiting for a magical moment to feel "ready" is pointless. i had a mindset of over-preparing. i remember polishing answers to every technical interview question. if i forgot the name of even one class, i'd feel unready, not good enough. confidence comes from doing. so start projects and apply for jobs even if you feel scared or unprepared. with years of practice, i adopted the mindset i teach here in TechPreneur: you don't need to feel confident; you just need to be willing.
the real skill is problem-solving
no book or course tells you this, but coding isn't about writing code. it's about solving problems. can you break a complex function into pieces your team can work on at the same time? can you figure out what's broken when nothing looks broken? it’s like being a detective—code is just evidence. the real job is asking the right questions, following the clues, and connecting the dots. focus on understanding why code is written a certain way.
nobody cares about your code; they care about what it does
clients, bosses, and users care about functionality and results, not how elegant your code is. yes, i care about my code, and so does my team. but it’s not the team paying my bills. customers pay for a solution they can see and use effectively. they don’t care how clean your code is. your company pays you for delivering the same. prioritize creating code that works and solves problems. write ugly code proudly—just remember to improve it as you grow. clean code is a journey, not a starting point!
burnout is real, protect your energy
grinding 24/7 is not sustainable. you think software development is about writing code? no! it’s about staying calm when nothing works. the best developers take breaks, rest, and set boundaries. i never did this until i was so burned out i didn't care if i got fired. i started saying YES to myself and No or finding compromises for work events. at first, it felt wrong, but it made me a much better coder and human. it shows you're confident, valuable, and have balance. if you don't value yourself and your needs, why would others? your brain needs to recharge to be productive.
want to learn more about how these points can change your coding journey? check out the full video where i explain everything in detail. it's like finding that missing sock—you'll be glad you did!
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