Tools: Habits I Learned Too Late as a Developer — part 2

3️⃣ Not reading software-related books For a long time, I didn’t read any software-related books. I relied mostly on tutorials, short articles, and videos.
They felt more practical and faster to consume. What I didn’t realize was what I was missing: Long-form thinking and well-structured mental models Ideas that stay relevant for years, not weeks. Short content is great for learning how to do something. Books are better at teaching why things work the way they do. Without reading books, my knowledge stayed shallow and fragmented.
I knew many tools, but I lacked depth in fundamentals like system design, data modeling, and architecture. Books that changed how I think: Clean Code — not for rules, but for learning how to read code critically Designing Data-Intensive Applications — for understanding real-world systems and their trade-offs The Pragmatic Programmer — for a long-term developer mindset
This link might be helpful if you want to reach some of them 📕sample books
🔗a nice article 4️⃣ Focusing only on code 🖥️ and ignoring networking opportunities Another habit I learned too late was attending meetups, events, and developer gatherings. For a long time, I simply wasn’t aware of these communities:
Google Developer Group meetups, Cloud Days, Developer Days, Java Days, and similar events. When I finally started attending them, I met many experienced developers and learned far more about industry trends than I expected. Before that, I used to think: Networking wasn’t necessary for “real developers” Skills alone would speak for themselves Events were mostly marketing or a waste of time That mindset was limiting. By not attending events, I literally missed: How other developers think and work Industry perspectives outside my own bubble Opportunities to learn without preparing anything in advance Networking doesn’t mean selling yourself.It means exchanging context. Sometimes, a single conversation at a meetup teaches more than hours of solo learning. Which habits did you realize too late in your developer journey? 👀 Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse - a few well-chosen books can save you years of trial and error. - How other developers think and work
- Industry perspectives outside my own bubble
- Opportunities to learn without preparing anything in advance