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Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

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Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#11
I started programming in 1989 and I still don't know exactly how to approach understanding big existing codebases in a productive way. I am pretty well career wise, though. So, don't worry too much about that point.

I also hate meetings from the bottom of my heart. Maybe that's why you find it hard to pay attention?

Like with the big codebases point, I have a taste for small and simple, so when I start plunging in a big codebase, I have too much moments when I get nervous by how stuff was badly done and that emotional state does not help me focus on the task.

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#13
> - I'm not good at understanding existing codebases. It is not that I can't fix a single bug or implement a new feature, it is just I'm slow. How can I improve this? I'm looking for something like a job simulation at home, like list of tasks to do in an existing codebase, with explanation or even guidance. I don't want to start another stupid practice project at home while I stress myself out about when will I find a job again.

The best way to improve this is just practice, plain and simple. Check out an open source project you like, and add a feature. You don't even need to create a PR for it - just do things you think might be good / useful - but add them to existing projects. It takes time to figure out how to separate signal from noise with other people's code - you just have to put the hours in.

> I have problems at paying attention in meetings. I struggled through the whole university too. I understood and learned almost everything at home for 5 years. Sometimes I even got asleep during important classes. I'm not talking about 1.5 hour long scrum groomings or reviews, sometimes I can't even pay attention during a 15 minute long standup in the morning. At my lost job they found it as a serious problem. Where to start?

If you can rule out a disorder like ADHD, then some of the best things you can do to improve concentration and attention span:

1) Get enough sleep (you mentioned falling asleep sometimes - a good sign that you're not getting enough generally)

2) Eat well, and regularly.

3) Stay hydrated

4) Take regular breaks (go for a walk, get some fresh air)

No solution is 100% effective - but they're things that have helped me.

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#14
> I have problems at paying attention in meetings. I struggled through the whole university too. I understood and learned almost everything at home for 5 years. Sometimes I even got asleep during important classes. I'm not talking about 1.5 hour long scrum groomings or reviews, sometimes I can't even pay attention during a 15 minute long standup in the morning. At my lost job they found it as a serious problem. Where to start?

IMO that is only a problem if you can’t pay attention in meetings where the points being discussed are very relevant to what you’re expected to contribute.

Most meetings are a total waste of time. The more people in them, the more meaningless they are. It’s natural not to stay engaged. If you think other people are, a lot of people are really good at giving that impression. This usually manifests in the form of completely irrelevant but tangentially related questions being asked.

If it’s any consolation, I think I’m a good (or at least decent) developer given my career progression, rewards, etc. so far, and I space out in 99% of the meetings I attend and that’s rarely an issue (and when it is, it’s a matter of someone telling me one little thing I missed in 1h of blabbering). I’m very open about my opinion on meetings and it’s never been a problem either.

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#16
I had a similar experience when I first started out and I got fired from my first two development jobs so maybe my experience can help you.

Getting good at grocking through existing codebases is an experience thing I feel. You need to understand the frameworks and libraries used, as well as understand the underlying business use cases. You can look through open source projects or build small example projects with the libraries in question to help you with understanding their code bases.

Understanding a code base is like understanding most other things. If you don't have an understanding of most of the background things, then you don't even know where you're struggling. It's like jumping into a book about quantum mechanics when you don't even know Algebra. You need to learn about the backend they use, the frontend stuff they use, and the business cases. I know that's a re-iteration of what I said above but sometimes having something explained from two ways helps.

As for the meetings and such, I think it is partially the above as well. I know when I first started out, not understanding the business, and the goals of the business, as well as what is in the code base already, nor what can be done in the code base, made the meetings hard. You don't know what they are talking about, why they are talking about it, and can't contribute due to lack of understanding. This makes it boring, like attending a lecture so high above your understanding that it's almost pointless to be there.

If this sounds like a likely scenario, then you just have to study and study and study. Also be honest with your co-workers and manager. Most of the time in my experience if you can identify the problem, figure out a path to fix it, and explain to your manager, they will be on board. Especially if you show that you are working to fix it. Always be introspective about the problems, and never be afraid to look dumb by asking questions. Also maybe confide in another coworker first about your problem if that feels more comfortable than your manager.

Lastly, I know that I had lots of these problems when I had an alcohol problem and drank WAY too much everyday. It made me sleepy in meetings, hard to think about problems, hard to understand new things, and just lots of other things. If you find yourself drinking a lot, perhaps consider doing a month of no drinking to see how that affects things. (I know you didn't mention drinking anywhere but I thought I'd say something just in case)

If you have questions or things just reply! Also maybe look at dev.to as well as they are a more junior community with a softer touch than here and may have lots of advice from people closer to your level or different perspectives that will help!

Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#17

If you decide the developer role isn't for you, there are other roles you may excel at- QA, Testing, BA, DBA, Data Analyst, Networking, ...

Could you briefly describe how someone who’s a Developer with a CS Bachelors Degree could transition into a Data Analyst role? Would this be a step down, with less room for growth?

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#19
post #10

Existing codebases: I'm starting my first job soon and expect this'll be a challenge for me as well, since it's not covered in curriculi. My plan is to spend some time during the (short) summer break poking at http://aosabook.org/en/index.html . Problem paying attention: It sounds like you might not be getting enough sleep. Best source of knowledge on sleep that I know is https://www.supermemo.com/en/archives1990-201…

Hmm I'm interested in the sleep article you posted but the link doesnt seem to work

Re: Ask HN: Please help me, I'm a bad developer

#20
post #14

> I have problems at paying attention in meetings. I struggled through the whole university too. I understood and learned almost everything at home for 5 years. Sometimes I even got asleep during important classes. I'm not talking about 1.5 hour long scrum groomings or reviews, sometimes I can't even pay attention during a 15 minute long standup in the morning. At my lost job they found it as a serious problem. Where…

> IMO that is only a problem if you can’t pay attention in meetings where the points being discussed are very relevant to what you’re expected to contribute.

Or if the scrum master noticed it, and started shaming you in front of everybody to repeat what the other guy just said.

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