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Victor Loveday
Victor Loveday

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3 Soft Skills To Succeed as a Developer

1. Creativity
When problems surface, a creative developer knows solutions likely already exist. And if it doesn’t, the developer isn’t afraid to come up with new solutions.

As a software developer, solutions aren’t handed over to you to mindlessly code. Instead, you must explore possibilities, weighing different technologies and your team’s skills. After gaining some experience to understand what technologies exist, the creativity of combining these solutions together becomes easier.

As a full-time software developer, you cannot fail — if a problem exists in your code, there is a solution, and you will find it. This will be the true test of your creativity.

2. Reliability
In a team, people rely on you to get your work done, especially when you promise to complete a task. If you’re reliable, no one will need to check up on your progress, as you’ve proven you can take on responsibilities.

Leaders want software developers who don’t need any babysitting. They want direct reports from who agree to do something and then follow through on their commitment. Believe it or not, many people aren’t reliable, so being a reliable developer will make you the go-to person for new tasks and opportunities.

3. Steller Communication
All softwares are built on a team composed of people with different ideologies, beliefs, biases, and experiences.

The best software developers communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical folks or technical ones who are still learning. You will go far as a developer if you can communicate across roles and teach others.

Oldest comments (16)

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cayto profile image
Caydaruus Maxamed

is real pro! TNX

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday

Thank you 😊

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darkwiiplayer profile image
𒎏Wii 🏳️‍⚧️

All softwares are built on a team

Far from true; even big projects like Linux originally started as a one-man project. Eventually, they almost always end up turning into team projects, but claiming that nothing was ever built by a single person is kind of denying the achievements of countless developers out there.

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday • Edited

I appreciate your detailed contribution. But either directly or indirectly, the success of a project depends on more than one head.

Using all, was probably a misuse of word.

Thank you.

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darkwiiplayer profile image
𒎏Wii 🏳️‍⚧️

Yes; no doubt, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. But that isn't relevant in the context of communication, so it really came across like "nobody works alone" :D

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday

At this point, perspective matters.

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gitkat profile image
GitKat

Linux was a repo of a UNIX, in a sense to do stuff exactly to do same stuff but in Linux way. It was an one-man project but it got popularity when it became a multiple-men project. You can give some credit to one-man but giving all the credit to one-man is not really fair. Linux where its today is not a one-man effort, Its number or uncountable-men efforts.

The fact author mentioned is based on experience rather than having high motivation level one get watching a from a fancy YouTube developer tutorial. IRL software does require different ideas and approach. Different ways to handle one problem. Different ideologies and so on.

What you achieve as a single developer is far less what you achieve by involving group of developers, although its really hard to to achieve something with a group of developers 😆 but it's worth trying.

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darkwiiplayer profile image
𒎏Wii 🏳️‍⚧️

What you achieve as a single developer is far less what you achieve by involving group of developers

What you achieve as a single developer are things like git, minecraft, etc.

Just because these projects inevitably end up needing and attracting more developers as they become as big and well-known as they are, doesn't mean they weren't started by single people who carried them far enough to get them that famous in the first place, or that many projects that are less well-known are still developed and maintained primarily by one single developer.

The fact author mentioned is based on experience rather than having high motivation level one get watching a from a fancy YouTube developer tutorial

Not sure what you're trying to imply here, but I think pointing to real projects that are well-known has a more empirical character than the personal experience of any of us random internet people. Even so, my personal experience underlines the fact that a single person can be plenty depending on the scope of the project. Where you get the "YouTube tutorial" thing from, I have no clue.

In the end, nobody is trying to take away credit from the community of Linux kernel contributors; I am merely pushing back on taking all the credit away from the individuals that started a project and made it big, because they often are not just another maintainer, and their projects didn't only succeed because of other people.

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gitkat profile image
GitKat

I admit and agreed what you said. Thanks

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mrdanishsaleem profile image
Danish Saleem

Creativity is like having the ability to create whatever you want is an amazing perk of being a programmer. You don’t depend on anyone to build your projects.

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday

No doubt. But understanding this article in its context will do us more good. 😀

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gitkat profile image
GitKat

True. Sometimes I don't think of myself as a programmer, I see myself as Picasso 🤣🤣🤣

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sufyanyahya profile image
Sufyan Yahya Isah

From the context point of view, these skills are in place.
The fact that some projects started as one-man project, it can't reach where it was now without team and different ideas.
The author pointed out that the aforementioned skills are still in place for a developer to succeed. We all grow better as team and complex problems require more than just one head.

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday

Thank you.

We should understand that the aim of this article isn't to point out incompetence from any individual in any sphere of life rather to help and accelerate. One way or the other, someday, we will surely find ourselves amongst group of like minded people like us.

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ruthorvis profile image
RuthOrvis

I love this office and want to join best tantrik in Shivaji Nagar

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vicviral profile image
Victor Loveday

Not sure of what you mean.