The finest code in the world is futile if it doesn’t solve an actual problem for users.
Chapter 3. The Hardcore Mentality Pitfall
Self-care is more important than an unwavering dedication to work.
Chapter 4. The High Pain Tolerance Pitfall
Tolerating painful practices takes a compounding toll on teams.
Chapter 5. The Unbreakable Rule Pitfall
Most coding rules can and should be broken from time to time, but breaking them requires careful thought and justification.
Chapter 6. The Fear of Failure Pitfall
Accomplishing tasks perfectly the first time isn’t nearly as important as practicing and learning from experience.
Part II: Writing Code
Chapter 7. The Development by Hope Pitfall
Cutting corners is tempting with complex problems, but those are the problems that require the most diligence.
Chapter 8. The Shiny New Objects Pitfall
Experimentation with new technologies is crucial to becoming a well-rounded developer, but adding them to a system should be done judiciously.
Chapter 9. The Wheel Reinvention Pitfall
Writing custom code for a solved problem is more error-prone and less efficient than using an existing solution.
Chapter 10. The Writer’s Block Pitfall
An action bias is crucial for writing software.
Chapter 11. The Multitasking Pitfall
Trying to do many tasks at once is particularly detrimental for coding.
Chapter 12. The Code Delivery En Masse Pitfall
Submitting large code changes all at once helps neither the author nor the team.
Chapter 13. The Done Upon Delivery Pitfall
A feature isn’t complete as soon as it’s been deployed; it’s complete when it solves the problem it set out to solve.
Part III: Team Dynamics
Chapter 14. The Half Measure Pitfall
Even good ideas should not be introduced into a system without a proper plan to integrate them.
Chapter 15. The Bikeshedding Pitfall
Teams can easily get caught up in discussions that lack value.
Chapter 16. The Hill to Die On Pitfall
Trying to convince an entire team to share a personal opinion is an exercise in vain.
Chapter 17. The Overaccommodation Pitfall
Left unchecked, exceptional practices that are meant for dire circumstances become commonplace.
Chapter 18. The Default to Yes Pitfall
Great engineers don't just blindly implement every feature they’re given. Instead, they collaborate with teammates to craft the solution that is the right fit for the problem at hand.
Chapter 19. The Being Right Pitfall
Having amazing feedback is ultimately moot unless it’s delivered in a way that the recipient will be receptive to.