The Criteria for Greatness

Is greatness in programming measured by your Codewars rank or Reddit karma? While these metrics may hold significance for some online enthusiasts, they lack real-world value. Consider this: would you prefer to collaborate with someone who ensures seamless functionality, or someone who obsessively rewrites your functional code into overly simplistic one-liners?

Ultimately, the performance of your code is less important than your ability to deliver projects on time while minimizing technical debt. If you can accomplish this, you're already ahead of the game. However, meeting project requirements alone doesn't elevate you to greatness; it merely places you above the average.

To truly distinguish yourself, you must cultivate a genuine concern for two essential elements:

1. The product you are developing
2. The customers who will use it

By focusing on these aspects, you will embark on the journey to becoming an exceptional developer.

Caring About the Product

In this context, the "product" refers to the software you are creating. You should treat it as if it's your own child. If you lack passion for the quality of your work, achieving greatness will remain elusive. You may be a competent or even a good programmer, but greatness will always be out of reach.

Without a vested interest in what you’re building, you will merely wait for tasks to be assigned to you, completing them without enthusiasm. Conversely, developers who genuinely care about their creations continuously seek ways to improve. If this resonates with you, congratulations! You are on the path to greatness.

Caring About the Customer

Customers can be challenging, especially when they report bugs without adequate descriptions. However, their feedback is invaluable for your product's success. If you aspire to greatness, you must learn to engage with your customers effectively.

Understanding customer preferences—what they enjoy, what frustrates them, and what confuses them—can significantly enhance your product. Often, developers overlook the importance of this connection. Picture this: you could develop the most technically advanced software, but without customer feedback, its success is unlikely.

As the saying goes, being too early can be just as detrimental as being wrong. Engaging with your customers broadens your perspective beyond mere coding; it encourages you to consider the real-world implications of your work. Happy customers lead to successful businesses, yet as developers, we sometimes forget that our users are the very people who will interact with our products.

Challenging customer feedback can push us out of our comfort zones, but these moments are where true growth occurs. It’s during these times that we can shine and elevate our skills to greatness.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to get lost in the technical details of our work, especially as tech professionals. However, to achieve greatness, we must never lose sight of the users for whom we are building. By caring about both our products and our customers, we can develop superior software.

When we prioritize the needs of our users, we create better products. We design with their experiences in mind and code accordingly. Ultimately, a sincere commitment to the product and the customer will elevate our capabilities as developers, benefiting both our careers and the end-users.

For more insights, visit PlainEnglish.io and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join our Community Discord to connect with others.

Section 1.1: The Metrics of Success

The real-world impact of your work far surpasses online accolades.

Section 1.2: Embracing Customer Feedback

Listening to your customers is vital for continuous improvement.