I hate coding solo.
Not in the moment or when I’m in the zone, I mean in the long run.
I love getting into that deep focus where I’m locked in and hours pass by in a second!
But I hate snapping out of it and not having anyone to chat with about it. (I’m lucky that’s not the case anymore though – thanks Bob!)
So it’s no surprise that many of the devs I chat with on Zoom calls or in person share the same sentiment.
Not everyone has a Bob though. Many people don’t have anyone in their circle that they can talk to about code.
- No one to share the hardships with.
- No one to troubleshoot problems with.
- No one to ask for a code review or feedback.
- No one to learn from experience with.
It can be a lonely experience.
And just as bad, it leads to stagnation. You can spend years coding in a silo and feel like you haven’t grown at all. That feeling of being a junior dev becomes unshakable.
When you work in isolation, you’re operating in a vacuum. Without external input, your vacuum becomes an echo chamber.
- Your bad habits become baked in.
- You don’t learn new ways of doing things (no new tricks!)
- And worse of all – you have no idea you’re even doing it.
As funny as it sounds, as devs I think we all need other devs around us who will create friction. Without the friction of other developers looking at your work, you don’t grow.
Some of my most memorable learning experiences in my first dev job were with my colleague, sharing ideas on a whiteboard and talking through code. (Thanks El!)
If you haven’t had the experience of this kind of community and support, then you’re missing out. Here’s what I want you to do this week:
- Go seek out a Code Review: Find someone more senior than you and ask them to give you their two cents on your coding logic. Note I’m suggesting logic and not your syntax. Let’s target your thought process!
- Build for Someone Else: Go build a tool for a colleague or a friend. The second another person uses your code it breaks the cycle/vacuum because you’re now accountable for the bugs, suggestions and UX.
- Public Accountability: Join our community, tell us what you’re going to build and document your progress! If no one is watching, it’s too easy to quit when the engineering gets hard (believe me, I know!).
At the end of the day, you don’t become a Senior Developer and break through to the next level of your Python journey by typing in a dark room alone (as enjoyable as that may be sometimes 😅)
You become one by engaging with the community, sharing what you’re doing and learning from others.
If you’re stuck in a vacuum, join the community, reply to my welcome DM, and check out our community calendar.
- Sign up for our Accountability Sessions.
- Keep an eye out for Live Sessions Bob and I are hosting every couple of weeks 🤫
Julian
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