Software development is always in constant motion: languages evolve, new ones emerge, new frameworks come into play (looking at you, JS devs ;p), and the recent incursion of AI… Certain qualities are indispensable to become a successful developer. This article explores essential qualities that a developer must possess. Of course, this is not exhaustive; a developer must have many other qualities.
Curiosity
Curiosity can be expressed through the constant pursuit of new knowledge, discovering new technologies, and staying updated with the latest trends. Without this, one risks missing out on innovations that could enhance overall productivity. For example, one can engage in tech conferences, online courses, and reading specialized blogs…
Patience
Ah… patience is an essential quality; I would even say it’s indispensable. Without it, you might not last long as a developer! You might write a feature in 10 minutes and then spend two hours getting it to work properly. The devil is truly in the details in development. Patience, and especially perseverance, are crucial to avoid giving up.
And I won’t even mention regex, in case of trouble, you can use our regex testing tool.
Communication
Contrary to what we see in movies, developers are not socially awkward geeks (Well, I might be a counterexample ^^). Knowing how to clearly explain ideas and solutions, sharing them with colleagues or even clients, is essential. For example, developers may need to write documentation, actively participate in team meetings, conduct workshops with clients, etc.
Meticulous
It takes time to save time! By paying close attention to detail, we avoid certain errors, thus preventing future bugs. The earlier bugs are detected, the less time-consuming they are. It’s better to spend an extra two hours analyzing the code we’ve designed than to have to fix a bug detected in production, which will require much more time (especially if we have to perform data recovery…). Being meticulous is an essential quality to be a good developer, so don’t hesitate to spend more time during development.
Collaboration
Projects are often substantial, developers work together, and they must also collaborate with other teams (project managers, pre-sales, support, etc.). It’s essential to know how to work effectively as a team and also to share information; otherwise, the project may stagnate.
Adaptability
Being flexible and capable of adapting to changes in technologies is crucial, as I’ve already mentioned, the world of development is constantly evolving. But it goes further; one must also be able to adapt to work methods (agility…), to their team, and also to clients!
Conclusion
To become a developer, or rather a good developer, as we’ve seen together, many qualities are required. These qualities are not necessarily innate; they can be learned 🙂
What qualities do you think a developer needs to succeed? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments!
Leave a Reply