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.
When I started coding, I thought my only job was writing code. And I was wrong.
I went to the extreme, obsessing over syntax and lines of code.
I didn’t want to attend meetings, answer my phone, or reply to emails.
Those were the days I had a cubicle.
After trial and error, I realized code neither saved me nor made me stand out.
It was always something beyond symbols on text files.
That’s why I’m writing this book: the prequel to Street-Smart Coding.
It’s my case against obsessing over syntax to stand out.
A manifesto for mastering the skills that create real impact.
I’m calling it: Street-Smart Coding Manifesto.
This one is about the why, while Street-Smart Coding is about the how.
It’s for junior and intermediate coders—and my younger self—who want to create impact beyond code.
#1. Hands first, then computer.
Following one lesson from Steal Like An Artist, this book started with pen and paper.
I used my 10-idea lists to plan it and sticky notes to outline it.
#2. Marketing from day 1.“People will come” isn’t 100% true.
Instead of waiting for a first draft, I’m announcing it early:
like I did in past Friday Links and now in this post.
#3. The Mini Book W technique.
Unlike Street-Smart Coding, this isn’t a “choose your own adventure” book, but a “start to finish” book.
To outline it, I’m using the W technique from Chris Stanley’s Mini Book Model.
One chapter to answer what, why, and how to become a street-smart coder.
#4. Succinct writing.
Stealing Derek Siver’s writing style, I’m planning chapters to be short and self-contained.
Each chapter covers one core idea, not long textbook lessons.
This is a short and actionable you can finish over coffee.
Preorder Street-Smart Coding Manifesto starting at just $1 and start mastering the skills that will set you apart, giving you confidence and impact beyond code. If you’d like to support the work, contribute $5 or more and I’ll thank you in the Acknowledgments.
Books have longer lifespans than posts.
We’re still reading The Odyssey, The Bible, and Meditations.
That’s the best way to preserve our stories and ideas.
If asking for a coffee feels uncomfortable, point readers to your books instead.
Since last month, I’ve been taking walks every day.
I’ve noticed the difference in my mood and creativity.
I take pen and paper with me. Most walks end with a post idea.
Maybe it’s breathing fresh air?
Sleep on it
When they were talking about scientists being artists too, she said,
A few months before my 40th birthday, per my need of a daily practice, I decided to start taking my favorite 19th century ornithological books and every night I would pick a drawing of a bird and read the ornithological description of the bird and I would sleep. And then in the morning, I would take certain words would kind of bubble up and I would make these little poems and koans over the artwork.
I also like feeding my brain and then doing something else.
I’ve tried doing it before bed, but it makes my brain rush with ideas when I should be sleeping.
Always have something to write on.
Maybe a notebook next to your bed or your phone with red filters on.
Like walking, sleeping gives our brain time to think.
AI doesn’t suffer
AI will never write the great American poem, the great French poem, because it hasn’t suffered. I mean AI has not the capacity to suffer…And without suffering, what kind of true art can there be?
If AI can do it in minutes, it’s not special.
Share personal stories.
Put your taste.
Follow your curiosities.
Make it unusual.
Be human.
Don’t call it content
We have reduced creative work, cultural matter to what we call “content” which presumes a container and in a way it’s an accurate description because the container is advertising
This book is my case against obsessing over syntax to stand out as a coder.
I’m writing it for my younger me who believed his only job was to write code. Younger me needed to learn that code alone won’t save him or make him stand out.
It’s a manifesto for mastering the skills that create real impact. That’s why I’m calling it Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. It’s about the why, while Street-Smart Coding is about the how.
#3. Product managers exist because we coders speak another language. That makes the relationship dysfunctional. But here’s a guide on working well with them (11min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Preorder your digital copy of Street-Smart Coding Manifesto—starting at just $1—and learn how to stand out by mastering skills beyond syntax. If you’d like to support the work, contribute $5 or more and I’ll thank you in the Acknowledgments.
He was holding two Roblox cards.
One for him and another for a friend.
That family stood behind me at the grocery store.
The boy insisted, “Buy them with my money.”
His older brother tried to convince him otherwise:
“My only advice is not to spend a lot of money on games. I’ve been there too.”
His mom, trying to reason with him, added up his expenses and the money she managed for him.
When those arguments didn’t work, she simply told him, “Buy something else.”“But mom, you’ve said no to everything I want.”
Most of us would agree that game cards for skills or powers aren’t worth the money.
But for the little boy, it wasn’t just cards.
It was surprising a friend, countless hours of fun, and bragging about his character at school.
Next time you see someone buying an iPhone, a fancy watch, or a designer bag, remember the boy.
We’re just older, and have replaced video games with other toys.
Money isn’t rational, but emotional.
Just like a boy who wants two video game cards.
