How to be an uncommonly good web developer

Web development is an incredibly exciting and rewarding field, but it‘s also highly competitive. Standing out from the crowd and becoming a truly excellent web developer requires more than just technical skills – it requires the right mindset, habits and approach.

As someone who has worked as a professional web developer for over a decade, I‘ve learned that while mastering languages and frameworks is important, it‘s only part of the equation. The developers who are able to build successful careers and make a real impact are those who couple their coding abilities with a host of other key skills and attributes.

In this article, I‘ll share some of the principles and practices that I believe can help you go from being a good web developer to an uncommonly good one. These are the things that have helped me grow and succeed in my own career, and that I‘ve observed in other developers who stand out from the pack.

1. Never stop learning

The field of web development evolves at a breakneck pace. New frameworks, tools, and best practices emerge all the time, and what was cutting-edge a few years ago can quickly become obsolete.

To be an uncommonly good web developer, you need to be a lifelong learner. You should always be exploring new technologies, expanding your skills, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.

Some ways to keep learning include:

• Taking online courses and tutorials to pick up new languages and frameworks
• Reading blogs, articles, and books written by experienced developers to absorb their knowledge
• Attending meetups and conferences to learn from talks and connect with other developers
• Working on side projects to experiment with new techniques
• Contributing to open source projects to understand how other developers solve problems

Of course, you can‘t learn everything and you don‘t need to jump on every new trend. Focus your learning on areas that interest you and are relevant to the kind of work you want to do. The key is to always be growing and avoiding stagnation.

2. Master the fundamentals

While it‘s important to keep up with the latest developments, don‘t neglect the core building blocks of web development. Having a rock-solid grasp of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web performance, accessibility, and other fundamentals will serve you well no matter what specific tools you end up using.

It can be tempting to skip ahead to powerful frameworks and libraries, but without a strong foundation, you‘ll quickly become lost and limited in what you can do. Take the time to really understand how the web platform works under the hood.

Some key areas to focus on include:

• Semantic HTML and best practices for structuring content
• CSS layout techniques like Flexbox and Grid
• Vanilla JavaScript and working with the DOM
• Web standards like responsive design and progressive enhancement
• Performance optimization to ensure fast load times
• Accessibility and inclusive design principles
• Version control with Git and GitHub

With a strong command of the fundamentals, you‘ll be able to pick up new frameworks and tools much more quickly, and you‘ll write cleaner, more efficient and more resilient code. You‘ll also be able to solve problems that have others stumped.

3. Develop problem-solving skills

At its core, web development is all about solving problems. Whether you‘re building a new feature, fixing a bug, or optimizing performance, you need to be able to break down complex challenges into smaller, more manageable pieces and figure out the best way to tackle them.

This requires more than just knowing the right syntax or method to use. It requires the ability to think logically and creatively, to consider multiple approaches, and to systematically debug issues.

Some strategies to improve your problem-solving skills include:

• Practicing algorithmic thinking by solving coding challenges on platforms like HackerRank or Project Euler
• Analyzing other developers‘ code to understand their thought process and solution
• Collaborating with other developers to get feedback and learn new problem-solving techniques
• Breaking down large problems into smaller sub-problems
• Clearly defining the problem and expected outcome before jumping into coding
• Rubber duck debugging – explain your code line-by-line to an inanimate object to catch logical errors
• Taking breaks to let your subconscious work on the problem

Cultivating your problem-solving abilities will make you a much more effective developer. You‘ll be able to take on more complex projects, find better solutions, and debug issues more quickly. You‘ll also be a valuable resource for your team.

4. Sweat the details

The best developers know that details matter, sometimes immensely. A single misplaced character can break an entire application, while a few extra milliseconds of load time can significantly impact user engagement.

To stand out, you need to develop an eye for detail and a commitment to excellence in everything you do. This means:

• Writing clean, well-formatted, and well-documented code
• Ruthlessly optimizing performance and page load times
• Ensuring your sites are pixel-perfect and match the design specs exactly
• Rigorously testing your code and fixing every bug, no matter how small
• Thoroughly commenting your code to make it understandable and maintainable
• Refactoring and improving existing code, not just shipping new features

It can be easy to dismiss the details as unimportant or too time-consuming, but the truth is that they often make the difference between a good user experience and a great one. And managers and clients will notice and appreciate your commitment to quality.

5. Learn to collaborate effectively

Few developers work in isolation. Building modern web applications usually involves working with other developers, as well as designers, managers, clients, and other stakeholders. Your ability to collaborate effectively with others is just as important as your technical skills.

Some key collaboration skills to develop include:

• Communicating clearly and patiently, both verbally and in writing
• Empathizing with others and seeing things from their perspective
• Giving and taking constructive feedback gracefully
• Being reliable and following through on your commitments
• Knowing when to ask for help and when to figure things out on your own
• Mentoring and sharing knowledge with other developers
• Contributing to a positive team culture

At times, collaborating with others can be more challenging than the coding itself, but it‘s an essential skill to master. The best developers are great team players who make everyone around them better.

6. Be proactive and take initiative

Uncommonly good developers don‘t just do what they‘re told – they‘re proactive in finding ways to improve the codebase, the development process, and the product as a whole. They take initiative rather than waiting for permission or instructions.

This mindset can manifest in many ways:

• Identifying and fixing bugs before they become major issues
• Refactoring and cleaning up code to keep the codebase maintainable
• Researching and suggesting new technologies that could benefit the project
• Automating repetitive tasks to save time and reduce errors
• Identifying and preventing potential security vulnerabilities
• Seeking out feedback from users and stakeholders to inform development

Of course, you don‘t want to overstep your bounds or make changes without consultation. But by being proactive and looking for opportunities to add value, you‘ll make yourself an indispensable part of any development team.

7. Develop business acumen

As a web developer, it‘s easy to get caught up in the code and lose sight of the bigger picture. But to be truly effective, you need to understand how your work fits into and impacts the company‘s overall goals and bottom line.

This means developing some level of business acumen – an understanding of things like:

• The company‘s business model, target market, and competitive landscape
• The key metrics and KPIs that the business cares about
• How the web application supports and drives the company‘s core operations
• The cost/benefit of different technical approaches and tradeoffs

You don‘t need to become a business expert, but having a grasp of these higher-level concerns will help you make better decisions in your day-to-day work. You‘ll be able to prioritize features and bug fixes based on their business impact, and suggest improvements that can drive real results. You‘ll also be better equipped to communicate the value of your work to non-technical stakeholders.

Always be shipping

At the end of the day, the key measure of a developer‘s effectiveness is their ability to ship working code. You can have the most elegant architecture or the cleverest algorithms, but if you can‘t deliver a functional product on time, it doesn‘t matter.

To be an uncommonly good developer, you need to cultivate a shipping mentality. This means being laser-focused on delivering value to end users as quickly and consistently as possible. It means being able to manage your time effectively, prioritize ruthlessly, and make smart tradeoffs between perfection and getting things out the door.

Some practices that can help you ship more effectively:

• Breaking large projects down into smaller, shippable increments
• Setting and communicating clear, realistic deadlines
• Regularly soliciting feedback from stakeholders to ensure you‘re on track
• Being willing to cut scope when necessary to hit key dates
• Establishing a fast, reliable build and deployment pipeline
• Having a bias toward action and experimentation over endless planning and discussion

Shipping is a skill that takes practice to master, but it‘s one of the most important things you can focus on as a developer. The most successful developers are the ones who are able to consistently deliver value to users.

In summary

Becoming an uncommonly good web developer is about more than just honing your coding skills – it‘s about cultivating a set of practices and mindsets that will make you a valuable member of any development team.

By committing to continuous learning, mastering the fundamentals, developing your problem-solving and collaboration skills, paying attention to details, taking initiative, understanding the business context, and focusing on shipping, you‘ll be well on your way to standing out from the pack and building a successful, impactful career in web development.

It won‘t happen overnight, but with dedication and a growth mindset, you can reach heights you never thought possible. So start putting these principles into practice today, and see where they take you. The web development world needs more uncommonly good developers like you.