I know veteran developers who have told me they sometimes have imposter syndrome. The idea that they don’t know what they are doing. In the software field it can feel like that at times. Each project has its own design and problem solving. But you can look at it a different way without stress. This perspective has been consistent for me across projects.
It comes down to these few steps.
- first get it to work. prove that it works. build a prototype. a proof of concept
- second use it in the real world. use it in your projects over and over. put it out there for others to use if it’s applicable and with disclaimers if you feel it applies
- thrid step — rebuild it if it needs it. or refactor it with all the experience and knowledge you gained. after you’ve used it, after your customers have used it look back and see if it fits your defined goals and purposes and if it needs to be refactored or not
- forth step — maintain it, use it and listen to user feedback. they use your product everyday. respect that and listen to what they say and need
You may not know how to build projects for years after you’ve learned the basics. I know experienced developers who refactor their code constantly, and you have to. When new requirements come in you might have to scrap the old design because it doesn’t work with the new requirements. It doesn’t mean a thing. It’s the software churn. Things get torn down and rebuilt.
And with everything, ask questions. I ask senior developers all the time for help.
“How would you solve this problem or that problem?”
I haven’t met a developer who was upset by questions. Or when someone was stuck. They’ve been there before.
So don’t rule yourself out too quickly if you don’t feel you know all the answers at the start. One day you’ll get to a point where you feel confident at any project. I had imposter syndrome for 20 years and then I got it. I understood what I was missing. The gaps of knowledge were filled in. The acceptance that I will not know everything was accepted. And I am confident and I feel confident. And so will you.
