August 31, 2023
Have you ever wondered how some indie hackers can make a whole app in 1 or 2 days in hackathons while developers in firms can take up to a year for that?
Clearly there are programmers that just code 10 times faster than average, if not faster .
Today I’ll show you 4 key points to become a fast programmer. And these are :
- Mindfulness
- Appropriate Tooling
- Task Optimization, and
- Using Shortcuts
Mindfulness
Writing code in a fast pace is all about being efficient. One the big traps that we all fall into, is to geek about a detail.
In other words fall into a rabbit hole.
And it used to happen to me a lot, especially as a beginner. But I have found good solution for that: using the pomodoro technique to be mindful.
In essence the pomodoro technique is just working in cycles and taking breaks in between. So instead of working 4 hours straight, you work 50 minutes, take a 10 minutes break. Rinse and repeat
For that I use this minimalistic app, called flow (not sponsored).
Each time the bell rings, I have the opportunity to stop and reflect on what I did in the past cycle. If I was fixated on a detail too much, I have the chance to notice it and move on.
And believe it or not, most of the time, the solution just pops up in my head later on.
Appropriate Tooling
Imagine if you had to develop a website using notepad. No syntax highlighting, no code completion, no live preview: That would be a nightmare.
Well reality is, you can think of using the right tools as a spectrum. And a lot of us, finds something that works and tries to apply it to everything instead of using the diverse tools that are available .
So take the time to invest your energy in learning skill that will help you in the long run like using git, vim, and just learning your editor’s keybindings.
I truly believe in using the right tools can have a great impact. For example, did you know that you can generate REST client code from your server code with OpenAPI?
Another example of using the wrong tools is designing an app or website in the code editor.
Instead, go find some inspiration online (e.g. dribble) and use design software like Figma.
Using the right tools offers more flexibility and will lead to better, faster results.
Task Optimization
If you want to make big progress in a short amount of time, you can’t just be wondering around. You need to plan, organize and execute clear tasks in a defined time window.
So start by Planing what you want to achieve: Be realistic about the outcome you want to reach and which tasks are required to reach the goals.
Then, organize and group the task so that you don’t have to do many context switches. Context switching is when you are jumping from one project to another. Not only will this make you drastically tired, it will also take you more time.
Only once you have cleared that out, can you start programming.
Which brings us to the latest point:
Using Shortcuts
I big mistake I was making when I just started programming, is trying to build everything myself, instead of using free tools that are available. And this applies to so many levels:
For instead of writing the same code again and again (React component) you can use code snippets.
Instead of implementing some technical functions for data transformation or date manipulation, you can simply use existing libraries. Bonus point, this will make your code way easier to understand and maintain.
I am not saying you should use every existing solution on the planet and just glue them together (looking at you, aws!)!
But you should know what is out there and mindfully decide what to adopt and what not, regardless of current trends.
I hope this helps you become better at programming.
Happy coding!
