Pinned — 28 Oct 2025 #codingStreet-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding Without Losing Your Mind
I spent five years in college learning to code.
A stupid dissertation delayed my graduation. But that’s another story.
Most of my five-year program didn’t prepare me for real-world coding. My real coding journey began at my first job, with one Google search: “how to get good at coding.”
I found a lot of conflicting advice:
“Use comments”
“Don’t use comments”
“Do this”
“Don’t do that”
Arrggg!
It took years of trial and error to learn what worked.
I had to survive on-call shifts, talk to stakeholders, and say “no” politely. More importantly, I had to learn that coding takes more than just syntax.
That’s why I wrote Street-Smart Coding— a roadmap of 30 lessons I wish I had when I started. For every dev who’s ever typed “how to get better at coding” into Google or ChatGPT. (Back in my days, I didn’t have ChatGPT… Wait, I sound like a nostalgic grandpa…)
Preview of the first ~12 pages
Inside “Street-Smart Coding”
This isn’t a textbook. It’s a battle-tested guide for your journey from junior/mid-level to senior.
Some lessons are conventional.
Others were learned the hard way.
And a few are weird.
One lesson comes from a TV show. Nope, not Mr. Robot or Silicon Valley. That’s on Chapter #29. It will teach you about problem-solving.
You’ll learn how to:
Google like a pro
Debug without banging your head against a wall
Communicate clearly with non-tech folks
…and 27 more lessons I learned over ten years of mistakes.
“Is it just me, or has anyone noticed that articles on dev.to don’t get as many reads/views as they used to before?”
Yes! On dev.to, Medium, and on the Internet overall.
There’s no point in writing how-to tutorials anymore, unless you’re starting your coding or writing journey with TIL posts.
For step-by-step guidance on coding tasks, there’s a magical text-area that seems to understands you and spits out answers fast.
Less people are landing on blogs and tutorials after Google pushed instant answers. For a couple of years, my series on unit testing and LINQ drove the most traffic. Even, I went “viral” with a a post on unit testing private methods. These days, they barely have any traffic.
And when was the last time you Google or open StackOverflow when stuck? Your behavior as reader tells a lot about what to do as a writer.
If you’re starting out your coding journey, I still recommend you to write online. That’s one of the lessons I cover in Street-Smart Coding—The roadmap I wish I had when I started.
#4. “Before cellphones, I always had my students carry a pen in their back pocket and an index card. And then get home, take the index card out and add it to the pile.”
The other day, I almost lost a story because of a dying battery.
That’s why I’ve learned to keep something to write, apart from my phone.
I keep old receipts and a tiny pencil on my wallet.
#5. “When you decide to be a writer, everything is grist for the mill. Every experience, every thought, you put it all down, and take out the boring stuff.”
Everything is material.
#6. For dialog, “You can only say ‘said’.”
The rhythm and speech should give away who’s talking.
#7. “You can do anything and get away with it, if you don’t lose me.”
Does it sound good? Do readers like it? Good. There are no rules.
#8. “One of the great gifts of being a writer is that it can help you get your curiosity restored.”
Writing is therapy.
Showing up to write 200 words saved me from burnout.
That’s why I keep writing.
#9. “Tell me a story. Make me care.”
It reminds me of James Altucher’s ABS: always be story-telling.
That’s what we’ve been doing as humans since we sat around fire.
Stories is what makes us AI-proofed writers.
#10. Every good story follows ABDCE:
Action, background, development, climax, and ending.
That’s why I write some of my books for my younger self.
And they’re a success if at least one person outside my circle buys them.
“Write until you are not afraid to write.”
I published my first LinkedIn post in 2024, years after writing my first blog post.
But even after hundreds of posts, I still was afraid of hitting “Post.” I thought people will make fun of me. I only logged in after a couple of days of publishing. Just entering my password felt threatening. But nobody really cared.
Prove yourself wrong!
“There’s no such thing as writer’s block. There’s fear of bad writing. Simply write.”
Sure, there’s fear of bad writing.
But I’ve suffered from “I have too much on my head” block.
When that happens: pause and handwrite everything you have on your mind. Empty your cup. Or walk. Walking fixes almost everything.
And there’s also “I need momentum” block.
When that happens: read others’ blogs and find something to steal. When you find something, stop reading and write your own.
“We’re not born a genius, it’s a skill. And skills can be learned.”
With enough time, everything is figurable.
You don’t need 10,000 hours to reach mastery.
There are shortcuts. OK, “shortcuts” sound like cheating.
Instead, let’s call them: learning strategies for faster results.
Quick update: 4 people have already preordered Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. A small win I’m celebrating. If you want to grow beyond syntax, this book is for you.
As usual, here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. The new profitable coding gig seems to be to clean up vibecoded apps. Here’s a team already doing it (3min). It’s time to change our LinkedIn bios to “AI slop fixer.”
#2. Cheap and accessible media has changed the meaning of resting, turning us into fat kings (5min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. My case against syntax obsession to stand out. Because real impact comes from skills outside your IDE.
Preorder for just $1 and become a coder who stands out beyond syntax. Support with $5 or more, and I’ll thank you in the Acknowledgments.
As a creative practice, I write 10-idea lists every day. Here are 7 interesting ideas I found recently. I’m writing them as I go, so I’m missing sources.
#1. Have a list of alternative activities to scrolling.
Instead of grabbing your phone, have a default activity for when you’re bored.
That might be opening your journal or reading a book.
Or have a creative date with yourself.
#2. Rest isn’t the same as stillness.
Rest is inactivity that recharges you for later work.
Industries profit from rest.
But stillness is inactivity just for the sake of doing nothing.
Yes, you’re allowed to do nothing.
#3. Stress is external. Anxiety is internal.
From a book I skimmed in a grocery store. I can’t remember its title…
Once the stress source is gone, so is stress.
Think of hitting an important deadline at work.
But anxiety is a fight in your own mind.
You have power over it.
#4. Human attention requires human effort.
Paul Graham from Y Combinator doesn’t read AI-generated emails.
There’s nothing remarkable in prompting an LLM for a business pitch.
Don’t send screenshots of ChatGPT replies.
Don’t copy-paste ChatGPT replies and pass them as yours.
Anyone can do that. Show human effort.
#6. Build a fortress of related books.
This is from Anthony Metivier’s YouTube…
Read books that build on each other.
Read one main source, a complementary source, and a contrasting source.
If you’re learning about guitar, read a songbook, a book on music theory, a biography of a musician…
#7. Use 10 words to describe your product.
This is from a product marketplace I can’t remember…
Its only requirement is to use 10 words to describe your product.
Excellent idea for a book one-liner.
For more interesting ideas, check out 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life And Could Change Yours Too. It’s on my books page.
