What Makes Developers Really Great

The page argues that a developer’s coding ability is only a small part of what teams need. What matters more are soft skills such as humility, communication, teamwork, the ability to take criticism, and the ability to handle clients and coworkers without damaging trust.

It uses an email to a young job seeker as an example. The author says the candidate appeared arrogant, failed to ask questions, and gave the same impression to other shops. The point is that poor interview behavior can create lasting damage, while talent plus people skills is what allows a developer to grow and work well with others.

Reading notes

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• Strong coding skill matters, but it is only a relatively small part of what employers want.
• Great developers are separated from average ones by soft skills and other intangibles.
• Humility matters when receiving criticism, admitting mistakes, and using other people’s code when it is better.
• Communication matters when dealing with clients, understanding problems, and handling difficult situations carefully.
• Teamwork matters when respecting other people’s views, compromising, and avoiding a lone-wolf attitude.
• A bad impression in interviews can close off opportunities later, especially in a small local community.
• The author says hard skills are easier to train than soft skills, which depend on values, self-image, and how someone treats other people.