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50 Things I Learned in the Last 2 Years

Catalin Pit

Catalin Pit

• 2 min read
  1. Be very specific when returning data from the database. Don’t blindly select all fields. Only return what’s needed.
  2. Many people get way further ahead in life than you with fewer skills simply because they have the courage to try.
  3. Communication is important in remote teams. Share progress, thoughts, questions, feedback, and memes. Over communicate.
  4. Pick mature tools. Don't fall for the hype.
  5. Low self-esteem and overthinking kill more dreams than anything.
  6. Your family are the only ones who truly care about you.
  7. AI is good and useful, but nowhere near the hype people create around it. 99.9% of the people hyping it are content creators that only create demos.
  8. It's your responsibility to draw eyes to your work.
  9. Quitting is not shameful. Knowing when to quit things is a superpower.
  10. Don't wait to get laid off to prepare. Start interviewing, build some apps, and create a few pieces of content.
  11. Social media is fake.
  12. Nobody is going to save or push you. If you want to do something, you have to push yourself.
  13. Go all in on your strengths rather than trying to fix your flaws.
  14. Money brings happiness. Better healthcare. Better food. Better opportunities. Better future for your family.
  15. Self-hosting apps is not that scary.
  16. Good sleep is the most important thing for a healthy and productive life.
  17. Hustle culture is bad. You can push your body to the limits when you're young, but you'll get the bill when you get older.
  18. You only have a handful of friends.
  19. Not all battles need to be won.
  20. Being likeable can take you further than being smart.
  21. If you get placed on PIP, start interviewing ASAP.
  22. It's easier to make more money than to save money.
  23. Children bring a whole new meaning to life.
  24. Listen to your gut feeling.
  25. Call your parents.
  26. Don't let AI do the thinking for you.
  27. When you get tired, rest. Don't quit.
  28. Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s poison for your soul.
  29. Try to write more.
  30. Developers are obsessed with over-optimizing for imaginary scenarios.
  31. Coding from books and tutorials is one thing, coding in real life is another.
  32. Ship fast, but not at the expense of security.
  33. Everything passes.
  34. Don't get too cocky when you're on top, and don't be too demoralized when everything goes against you.
  35. Donate to open-source.
  36. Become friends with people who are already where you want to be. Or, at least, closer than you.
  37. Employment is fine. There are some really cool jobs. Not everyone is made to be an entrepreneur.
  38. Waking up early is the only productivity "trick" that works.
  39. Companies don't care about you. They’ll throw you out without thinking twice when you’re no longer useful to them.
  40. Multitasking doesn't exist.
  41. JavaScript gets a lot of hate, but you can bet on it.
  42. Donations don't work. Monetize your knowledge & work.
  43. Sitting is the new smoking. Use proper ergonomic equipment. Stand up more often. Exercise. Eat healthier.
  44. People love to give advice. Discard advice from people who are not "in the arena". It's easy to give advice from the sidelines.
  45. It's more important than ever to be a competent developer.
  46. Building your own side projects and releasing them to the public will teach you more than any job or course.
  47. You only have "now". Not yesterday, not tomorrow.
  48. Just start.
  49. Only collaborate with companies that pay upfront.
  50. AI is not smarter than you. Just faster.
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