Signs that you're a good programmer

The page argues that good programmers are defined less by static talent and more by habits: they experiment early, detach from code, fix what is broken, stay curious about difficult topics, and teach what they know. It also says these traits are learnable through practice, discomfort, and repeated exposure to harder problems.

Reading notes

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• Good programmers try ideas with the compiler or runtime before asking others.
• They treat code as replaceable and are willing to discard work when a better approach appears.
• They look for real defects, code smells, and unnecessary complexity, then simplify or remove code.
• They keep learning unfamiliar subjects because ignorance costs time and labor.
• They explain what they know and learn by teaching.
• The article also describes stronger traits such as patience, perfectionism, deep platform knowledge, code-oriented thinking, fitting the local platform, and making their own tools.
• A final section lists traits that can lead beyond ordinary programming, including indifference to hierarchy, comfort with failure, and drive from experiences.