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.
To slow down my ruminating thoughts, I put on my green Nike shoes and sport clothes, and went to the closest park for my daily walk.
But to avoid more overthinking, I added a twist.
I choose to pay close attention to the sounds around me.
The passing motorcycles, cars honking, kids screaming while playing soccer, some teenagers rehearsing a dance, a priest giving a sermon, or simply my footsteps on the pavement.
From time to time, I asked myself “Are you breathing?”
Then I switched my attention to my breaths.
Without even realizing it, one hour has passed and my mind already felt more quiet.
I guess I just discovered Walking meditation, a new way to slow down and calm my mind.
If it drains you, cut it out. If it energizes you, do it more.
One week free from social media taught me I’m another junkie.
My phone time showed me I was an enemy of boredom—or still I am.
Analog Sundays helped me to reconnect.
But for some reason, or for some distractions, I stopped following them.
And I regretted it.
A new social platform, my own expectations, and rushing to chase an imaginary finish line took a toll on my physical and mental health.
They cost me two nights without proper sleep.
And they force me back to my daily practice.
Less scrolling. Less phone time.
Less rushing.
Less consuming.
I had Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman on my to-read pile for months. But it turned out to be a goldmine, with practical advice for marriage, work, and kids.
Here are my main takeaways:
#1. Emotions are impulses that makes you take action.
#2. You have a rational and an emotional brain. The emotional one is faster.
#3. Emotional intelligence is a better predictor of success than IQ. Skills like self-motivation, delay gratification, self-control, and empathy. It reminds me of who is the real genius in Scorpion, the TV show.
#4. The first step to control your emotions is by recognize them. You can’t control when they appear, but you can control how long you experience them.
When angry, take distance: walk or workout. It might take more than 20 minutes to calm down. When worried, question your thoughts. When depressed, go out and socialize.
#5. When complaining with your partner, don’t point fingers to the person, but to the situation. Even if the situation has an easy solution, always listen to your partner. To raise your complain, follow the XYZ approach.
#6. The XYZ approach works at the workplace too. When critiquing, always give a suggestion.
#7. To make someone feel heard, don’t just repeat the last words they say. Listen empathically: paraphrase and state the underlying emotion you identify.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1.LibreOffice announced “no-ai” (2min) as a core feature and their downloads doubled. Not everyone wants AI and their hands on everything. I’m announcing “no-AI” on my posts, newsletters, books…just to see if visits and sales doubled. LOL.
#2. What do you have in your CV? Languages, tools, job experience? What about listing any of these 4 rare skills (6min)? Which one do you have? I think I’m a polyglot.
#3. AI won’t ever replace coders if you consider programming as an art (5min). Do you think programming is art?
#4. When everybody is doomscrolling and defaulting to AI, it’s time for de-brainrot vacations (5min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. A case against syntax obsession. Because real impact comes from skills outside your IDE.
