📝 Key Takeaways
Storytime
One day I was struggling with my demo's (this was pre-Copilot) and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I had rebuilt my demo 8 times or more (they say repeating the same steps and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity...)and it still wouldn't work.
I asked my grad hire - Jiaranai - to take a look at my code. She said "How come you ask me, Michelle, you should ask Graeme, he's the Senior Developer. He will surely know the answer."
I replied "I asked Graeme yesterday. He did the same things I had done, checked the same things, undertook the same troubleshooting... and he couldn't figure it out."
Graeme was born in the same decade as I was, he went to University in the same country, studied from the same books (a thing we used before the internet existed), we were taught the same troubleshooting methodology so we solve problems in the same way. It means that even though Jia was much less experienced - she might see things differently, solve things differently.
Jia looked at my code for 30 mins and then she said "There is a capital letter in the file path and not in the code."
I learnt 3 things that day:
- Experience and expertise do not always solve the problem. Diversity of thought comes from seeing things that others do not see, and if you are younger, less experienced, closer to your education – you might well pick out the flaws a more senior dev cannot see.
- It wasn’t because I was a bad coder that I couldn’t fix my code.
- It is never a mistake to look for help from different sources.
🎯 What We've Learned
- Everyone experiences doubts—it's normal! Up to 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point
- Growth comes from learning and sharing - Teaching others reinforces your own knowledge
- Progress is more important than perfection - Done is better than perfect
- Community support makes a difference - You're never alone in this journey
- Balance is essential - Take care of yourself while pursuing your goals
- Learning takes time - Be patient with yourself
- Seek to Recognize and challenge your negative thoughts - That voice inside your head is not your friend.
- Get feedback and support from others - They might see things you do not.
- Celebrate your achievements and acknowledge your strengths - Get a Happiness Jar
- Develop a growth mindset and embrace learning opportunities. - But learn when to say No, as well as when to say Yes.
- Seek professional help if you have the opportunity. - Don’t dismiss counselling as something for others, we all need it now.
💪 Moving Forward
Remember:
- You belong here - Your unique perspective matters
- Ask for help - It's a sign of wisdom, not weakness
- Celebrate wins - Big and small achievements deserve recognition
- Keep coding - Every line of code is progress
📚 Continue Learning
Explore resources and connect with others to keep growing.