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.
This 2-hour interview made me reconsider what a good story is.
I don’t know how, but I ended up watching an interview with Matthew Dicks on storytelling.
Here’s what I learned:
#1. A story is about change over time. It’s about a transformation or realization. I believed this, then something happened, and now I believe this.
Unlike an anecdote, a story is something you will remember for days, months, or even years.
“A story are the best meals of your life.”
#2. Make them care. Nobody wants to listen what you have to say unless you give them a reason to listen.
#3. Don’t describe. Descriptions consume readers’ bandwidth. Instead, leverage people’s imagination by choosing words they can already see. People care about what you felt, what you said, and what you did.
#4. When public speaking, don’t memorize. Remember a story by thinking in terms of scenes.
In a good story, scenes are connected to each other. You can’t remove anything from the story.
“The best performer know what they’re going to say, but not exactly how”
#5. To make your stories interesting, use: stakes, suspense, surprise, and humor.
#6. Different versions of stakes in a story:
Elephant: What get people’s attention initially.
Backpack: Hopes and dreams you’re loaded with along the way.
Breadcrumbs: Clues or hints along the way.
Hourglasses: Once you have your audience, make them wait.
Crystal balls: Out-loud predictions.
Humor: To make your audience feel at ease, make them laugh in the first 30-60 seconds of your keynote.
#7. Don’t waste your openings by overexplaining. Use location, action, or wonder. Start in the middle of action. Remember BABC.
#8. To have an arc, make your beginnings opposite to your endings.
#9. To make a good trailer or teaser, make sure people understand the problem the character is facing but don’t solve the problem or let us know if the problem is going to be solved.
#10. How to improve at storytelling:
Strategically listen. Don’t just be a consumer. Instead notice why something works.
Understand what a story is. Once you do that, you’ll realize they’re everywhere.
Ask what you can say to keep the person listening. Get through the boring parts by making it suspenseful or funny.
“Hey, I was thinking… Many years ago, I don’t know how, but my mom had to meet your mom…“ he said, leaning closer with a beer in his hand.
I’m at my nanny’s 70th birthday party. She took care of my sister and me as kids—and still does. Her son sat next to me. Most guests had left, and only family stayed.
“… All that had to happen, so you can be here with us now. Life is already written.” I nodded while listening to his words. “Sometimes I think it is,” I said.
My mom passed away months earlier. My nanny’s family stood with us at that moment. Many coincidences crossed my mom’s and my nanny’s paths. Someone made an introduction. Appreciation grew beyond a work schedule. They nurtured a relationship until we became family.
Life is written? I’m not sure. Maybe parts of it. But I do believe our actions and daily choices shape one’s destiny. And that’s in our control.
(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.
After tuning the radio, the taxi driver found a station broadcasting a presidential speech. The president was just days away from leaving the office.
I had finished my weekly groceries and was heading home. It was raining, and I rushed home after forgetting to close the windows. So I didn’t put my bags in the trunk, but on the front seat.
“That guy talks a lot… He was born to be a politician,” the taxi driver said, breaking the silence after hearing my destination. “Those roles need someone who talks a lot.”
“That’s right! Someone who convinces and coordinates people,” I said.
“In my neighborhood, almost all the community leaders have already passed away. There are still two guys. They’re already old and sick… But one of them still does things for the community… He’s organizing a 70s-themed party for this month…”
“There are a couple of young people who ran for local mayors. But they’ve done nothing for the community. How they expect me to vote for them? If the street lights don’t work, they should call the company.”
“So they’re just waiting for the title before acting…” I said.
Lesson: Do the work first, then the title comes after. That applies when turning a hobby into a new career or when running for local mayor.
