21 Oct 2025 #coding
“Focus on one thing,” a coworker used to tell me. But I didn’t listen.
I was in my first job about 10 years ago. I was learning C#, catching up with PHP, and reading about Python. I remember going through Hangfire documentation without knowing how I’d use it.
Like most new coders, I suffered from shiny object syndrome.
I was focused only on mastering syntax
At that time, for me coding was only about syntax, symbols, and languages.
One day, my boss called me to his office and I arrived late because I was “coding.” He lectured me that day. And I deserved it. Looking back, I’m surprised I didn’t get into more trouble.
And to make things worse, I picked Clean Code. By the time I finished it, I had become a Clean Code cop. I started to look for violations around me. Every piece of code had to follow the book.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
The hard lesson: Coding isn’t only about syntax
Yes, coding is about syntax. But it’s more than just typing symbols.
Most coding happens away from a keyboard: in meetings, brainstorming sessions, and on whiteboards. You’ll spend a lot of time talking to non-tech people, negotiating deadlines, and managing change.
Junior me didn’t know that. And by trial and error, I had to learn the lesson. Getting fired was part of it.
Learning more languages will grow your toolbox, but it won’t necessarily make you a well-rounded coder. Work on your collaboration, clear communication, and writing skills too.
I wish someone had told me that when I started out. And that’s why I wrote Street-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding. Because coding is more than typing symbols fast.
Get your copy of Street-Smart Coding here
20 Oct 2025 #coding
We’re still far away from the dream of coding in plain English.
One single video isn’t enough proof, but here’s one from someone who has given up on AI coding:
Among other reasons, he quit AI coding for two main reasons:
#1. AI has stolen all the joy of coding. He isn’t figuring things out by himself. No more aha moments or victory dances when using AI.
#2. Even with “perfect” prompts and workflows, LLMs’ output is unreliable. AI comments tests out to “make them pass,” writes passing tests by tweaking edge cases…
LLMs aren’t really like a fast junior coder. They’re more like a lazy, sloppy, stubborn junior coder who suddenly needs to be taught again.
I haven’t tried AI that much myself, like the guy in the video, but I don’t swear by English as the de facto programming language.
I still want to tackle business problems. I want to design code and solve tricky bugs. That’s the fun part. I don’t want AI to kill it.
I don’t want AI to take away my coding skills. I want AI’s help but I stay in control.
I just want AI to do the boring part: generate syntax once I’ve done the thinking part… and hopefully escape endless Scrum meetings.
With AI taking fast code generation off the table, it’s time to double down on real skills: problem-solving, clear communication, and many more I cover in my book, Street-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding. Because being a good coder is more than mastering syntax.
Get your copy of Street-Smart Coding here. It’s the guide to leveling up my coding skills I wish I had when I was starting out.
19 Oct 2025 #writing
I wrote my first blog post in 2018. Well, it was more of a word vomit pretending to be a coding tutorial.
I’ve been writing a daily post since November 1st, 2024. And in the last year, I’ve written over 300 LinkedIn posts.
By pure accident or luck, I made my first $1 online thanks to my writing.
After all these years, I’ve adopted the following 5 guiding principles to keep writing:
#1. If it helps one person, hit post.
You don’t need to write to the masses. Just to one person. And that one person could be your past self.
#2. Give something and give it fast.
In 17ms, we decide if we keep reading or move on. Credits to Small Brevity.
Online writing (emails, social media posts, or blog posts) isn’t fiction. People expect a long detailed description of scenery and dialog in a novel. Even in fiction, if your story isn’t moving fast enough, readers will put your book aside.
Get to the point! Nail your headlines and work on your opening lines. Cut the long intros.
#3. Write as if nobody’s reading. Keep writing because you never know who is.
Writing feels lonely when you start.
The cure? Write for your younger self. Write what you wish you had known 2 years ago.
#4. Don’t wait to become an expert. Write to become one.
If you wait to become an expert, you’ll never write while putting in the 10,000 hours.
Instead, write to learn. Document your journey. Teach as you go.
#5. Intention gets you started. A system keeps you showing up.
Writing can feel easy, especially with AI. Consistency is the real challenge.
Find ways to capture ideas and turn them into posts.
In the end, intention starts the journey. But attitude, systems, and habits keep it going.
18 Oct 2025 #misc
Here are 8 things I believe you should never feel bad about, no matter what:
#1. Saying no. To negativity, toxic relationships, bad jobs… To anything your gut instinct doesn’t like.
#2. Choosing an unproven path. There’s a default plan set for you if you don’t choose yours.
Go to college, get a job, work hard, keep your head down, and retire. That worked for our parents. Not anymore.
It’s okay to start a small business, create content, or freelance instead of following the 9-5 path.
#3. Putting yourself first. If you don’t take care of yourself, nobody will. And life is often like airplane safety measures: put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others.
#4. Buying books. From I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi, I learned to cut what we hate and spend on what we love. If that means buying books, so be it.
#5. Avoid spending on luxury items. Who needs the expensive watch, designer clothes, or fancy wallet? Often, people go into debt to pay for those items. And if it doesn’t put money into your pockets, it’s a liability. (Credits to Poor Dad Rich Dad.) And it’s okay to cut it.
#6. Traveling. Apart from visiting new places, traveling teaches you new languages and to expand your horizons. The world isn’t like your small town. People don’t think like you. And that’s okay.
#7. Being single. I don’t remember where I heard it, but most people start relationships simply because they feel alone. For that, it’s better to find a hobby or new friends than to start a relationship that might hurt someone.
#8. Promoting your own work. Sometimes we debate sports, politics, or why Apple phones beat Samsung phones, but hesitate to promote our own work. Like it or not, we’re selling all the time. And if we don’t sell something, we’ll end up selling our time. And we’re not going to like it.
17 Oct 2025 #mondaylinks
Hey! Hope your week’s been good.
A quick update on my book, Street-Smart Coding:
I’m done addressing feedback from my beta readers. Turns out I had forgotten about a references section. Arrggg!
I’ve reread my draft countless times, still afraid of typos. My next step? Design the interior of my book. Quick update over.
Now, the 4 links as usual:
#1. A corporate job is a game of politics. (Just try to make a change in your company.) Here’s a guide on how to play and influence the tech company politics (8min).
#2. Like any new coder, junior-me spent hours tweaking my IDE with themes and extensions. Eventually, I settled down to the Solarized theme. And more recently, while looking for a simple theme for live coding and code samples on my books, I found Alabaster and the rationale behind it (10min). When everything is highlighted, nothing really stands out.
#3. Plastic bags killed basket-making. Is coding next? Is coding becoming a dying craft? (3min) No clear answer, just food for thought. For sure, coding is evolving. We’re not punching cards anymore. Maybe, in the future we won’t be typing symbols like we do now.
#4. Often great coders get promoted to management, to stop coding eventually. But what if a promotion meant going deeper instead of moving up and out? (6min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about the one rule I use to code with AI (to avoid losing my skills) (2min) and the best bad coding example I’m using in my book (2min). Coming up with a good bad example is surprisingly hard, but I think I nailed one.
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by…
Preorder Street-Smart Coding here (pay what you want just for these days) and read 5 of the 30 strategies just to start. If you’ve ever typed “how to get better at coding” on Google, YouTube, and more recently on ChatGPT, this is for you.
See you next time,
Cesar
Want to receive an email with curated links like these? Get 4 more delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Don’t miss out on next week’s links. Subscribe to my Friday Links here.