A bunch of programming advice I'd give to myself 15 years ago (mbuffett.com)

Article summary

The article provides advice to programmers based on the author's 15 years of experience, covering topics such as fixing systemic issues, balancing quality and pace, and debugging techniques. The author emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, learning from mistakes, and adapting to different contexts. The advice is presented as a personal reflection on what the author would tell their younger self. The article also touches on the value of shipping code quickly, learning from failures, and the importance of understanding the trade-offs between quality and pace.

Main themes

• Programming advice
• Self-improvement
• Debugging techniques
• Quality vs pace
• Learning from mistakes
• Shipping code

What commenters say

• There is no substitute for hands-on experience and coding, rather than just reading tutorials or watching videos.
• Beginners should focus on shipping code and learning from their mistakes, rather than striving for perfection.
• Reading others' code and learning from their experiences is a valuable way to improve one's own skills.
• The importance of quality and best practices can be overemphasized, and sometimes it's necessary to prioritize shipping code and learning from failures.
• Experience and self-reflection are key to developing good programming habits and avoiding common pitfalls.
• The value of debugging techniques and tools is often underestimated, and investing time in learning them can pay off in the long run.
• Different contexts and projects require different approaches to quality, pace, and debugging, and adaptability is essential for success.
• Impostor syndrome is common among programmers, but it can be overcome by focusing on learning, self-improvement, and shipping code.