IT — Articles — Centric Magazine

By Julian Sequeira

"I'm not good enough to be a software developer". This is one of the most common sentiments I've heard through having hundreds of conversations with budding developers. There seems to be some unjustified expectation that all successful software developers are masters of their craft. That to be one you have to know absolutely everything there is to know about the language and relative technology stack. That these "experts" are just naturally good at it. After years learning, teaching, working in and now coaching Python programming, it's become apparent that this just isn't true. In fact, the most successful developers I've met aren't just "naturally gifted" at all. Rather, the key to their success comes with having the right mindset.

This may sound like a cop out but it really isn't. Having the right mindset as a software developer is key to your success. It isn't just about writing "clean code", that's only part of the equation. It's how you think, behave, react and communicate that set you apart from the rest. A great example here is that of the Code Review. Some people shy away at the idea of their code being reviewed and critiqued by anyone, let alone their peers. They think their code isn't good enough and feel like any criticism is a sign of their ineptitude. This is all just Imposter Syndrome.

In reality, the Code Review is a process to not just ensure bugs in the code, inconsistencies and risks are mitigated, it's also there as a teaching mechanism. As we always say, "you don't know what you don't know". The mindset takeaway here is that successful developers look at the Code Review process as an opportunity to learn and grow. If their code is denied, they take that feedback and learn from it. They embrace the experience, consume the recommendations to fill potential gaps in their knowledge and then most importantly, implement what they learn. None of this has anything to do with their technical prowess, rather, it's all about how they choose to react to the situation.

This is a topic that could fill countless pages but for brevity, I'll summarise some mindset tips you can take on or implement right now to make you a more effective developer:

1. Take all feedback as an opportunity for growth. Don't shy away from it. (Read more in the book, "Mindset" by Carol Dweck, one of my favourites).

2. Communication is key. Being able to communicate your ideas will set you apart from the rest. Remember, not everyone you interact with will be a developer who understands the jargon!

3. Know when it's time to take a break. Simplistic but effective. Walking away to give your active mind a break and coming back fresh helps get through those tricky coding problems.

4. Build relationships often. Networking and having conversations whenever you can is a great way to keep opportunities coming your way.

5. Share your knowledge! Great developers don't hoard information. They share, they believe in the growth of others around them and they take opportunities teach and mentor.

6. Build a daily habit of learning. The skills don't just appear out of nowhere. They're a product of constant learning. Tinker and play, have fun with it, just be consistent.

7. Set goals. It doesn't matter how big or small they are, setting goals will give you something to work toward. The best developers know why they're pushing code every day and what it means to them.

8. Above all, determination and consistency will get you your success. Successful developers don't give up. They keep at it. If they hit a wall, they rethink their approach, seek help and advice, and find a way around the problem.

Mindset isn't something many associate with being a successful developer but time and time again we see just how effective a strong mindset is at being able to survive and succeed in the world of software development.

If you're looking to succeed as a software developer, whether you are one or not, there's one thing you need to do right now: take 5 minutes and plan your next step. What's the goal? What do you need to do to get there?

Remember, there's so much more to being a successful developer than just knowing how to code!

If you'd like to know more, come visit us over at PyBites where we love to build confident developers by talking, teaching and coaching people on Python, Mindset and Careers.

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Civic Tech platform CitizenLab is today announcing a move to open up the core version of its community engagement software, in an effort to equip smaller organisations and communities with the tools to democratise policy-making by involving more citizens. Available from March 31st, the open source code can be found on GitHub, enabling civic organisations to deploy and run their own virtual consultation projects, for free.

CitizenLab’s technology allows people to make their voices heard using purpose built software designed to improve efficiency within civic decision-making. The platform provides governments, local authorities, and membership organisations with a ‘digital democracy toolbox’. This enables them to enrich community meetings with virtual discussion forums, organise votes on suggested policy changes, or gather new ideas through surveying tools. The civic engagement tools have been developed through a recognition of the need to improve outdated bureaucratic processes with innovative technology, increasing transparency and political participation.

The open source software will be available through an AGPLv3 license, as demand for open software continues to grow amongst local governments. This will allow for the features to be made fully accessible and replicable, enabling organisations to deploy the platform on their own servers, make changes to the code, and power basic community engagement projects easily and efficiently. This move will mostly benefit small organisations and civic groups, who until now may not have been able to afford a licence.

Founders - Wietse Van Ransbeeck, Aline Muylaert, and Koen Gremmelprez and team

Larger clients and governments will continue to have access to paid-for licences, which come with technical support, guidance, and tailored advice. For larger institutions, the move to open source will be an opportunity to increase collaboration with their communities and develop custom integrations for their engagement projects. Organisations including Sport England, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have already embraced CitizenLab over the past few months, in a bid to ensure members’ and community voices are heard.

“Our move to open source is a way to practice what we preach. We cannot credibly champion transparency and openness to the governments we work with, if we do not practice it ourselves, and if the underlying infrastructure is entirely closed-source. Democracy should not be left to the black-box algorithms of private companies - it belongs to all of us.

“We have also noticed that the demand for open source is growing amongst local governments. Making the move to open source will enable us to collaborate with governments on high-impact projects and provide adequate tools for online deliberation at a regional or national scale”.

Wietse Van Ransbeeck, CitizenLab’s

CitizenLab successfully launched in the UK in January 2020, and has previously worked with over 200 governments across 11 different countries to improve digital democracy. The decision to release an open source version of the software is reflective of CitizenLab’s willingness to prioritise wider societal benefit over profit.