I dunno. I call bullshit on almost all of these tips. Not all developers are awkward, socially-inept, and incapable of designing their way out of a paper bag. I find that to be a really tired stereotype these days. I’d say: if you want to be successful, push yourself. All of these things are skills that can be learned.
I frequently find that I reach the “I give up” ceiling very quickly when I try to push myself on most things. I reckon it’s because I can be quite impatient and intolerant towards frustrations.
And what are your thoughts on talent? Sure, most skills can be learned, but the rate of learning can vary and time is limited. How worthwhile is it to learn something if you know you might be slow at it and the skill plateau is probably not too far off? Do you normally aim for good enough for those skills you did learn but don’t think you can be an expert on them?