🏃 The Soloist
The Soloist prefers to work alone and may hesitate to ask for help. They feel like asking for assistance means they're not a "real" developer. This mindset can lead to isolation, slower problem-solving, and missed learning opportunities.
I understand this one deeply. Early in my career, I'd spend hours stuck on a problem, convinced I should figure it out myself. Meanwhile, a colleague two desks away had solved the same issue last week. When I finally asked, they helped me in five minutes—and I learned something new.
The best developers aren't the ones who never ask questions. They're the ones who know when to seek help and how to collaborate effectively. Even GitHub Copilot is essentially "asking for help" from an AI trained on billions of lines of code.
🤝 Collaborate and Connect
- Ask for help when needed - It speeds up learning and builds relationships. Set a 30-minute rule: if you're stuck longer than that, ask someone
- Join developer communities - Oredev, Discord, local meetups, tech Twitter/Bluesky. You'll find your people
- Share your journey with others - Your struggles help others feel less alone. Write blog posts, give talks, or just chat over coffee
- Pair programming - Two heads are better than one. You'll learn their tricks and they'll learn yours
- Contribute to open source - Learn from others and give back. Start small: fix typos, improve docs, then work up to code
- Code reviews are learning opportunities - Both giving and receiving feedback makes you better
- Use GitHub Copilot Chat as a conversation starter - If the AI can explain it clearly, so can your colleague
Remember: every senior developer you admire got there by asking thousands of questions and learning from hundreds of people. Collaboration isn't weakness—it's wisdom.
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"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb