Brain Bytes

Brain Bytes is dedicated to enhancing software engineering skills through quick and practical tips, focusing on career development, motivation, debunking myths, and improving coding practices. It emphasizes learning efficiency, coding fundamentals, security, and preparing for the job market, including interviews, with an underlying theme of continuous improvement and strategic learning.

Career Development Motivation and Learning Strategies Software Engineering Myths Coding Practices and Skills Coding Interviews Software Security Programming Languages

The hottest Substack posts of Brain Bytes

And their main takeaways

7 Actionable Tips to Become Great at Software Engineering

238 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Continuous Learning Soft skills
  1. Set a horizon goal to guide your learning and career decisions; it could be mastering a specific area, building a professional network, or creating something new.
  2. Stay updated with new technologies and coding methodologies to remain relevant in the tech industry; consider leveraging tools like AI to enhance your work.
  3. Reflect on your career as if looking back 100 years from now to focus on meaningful, long-lasting contributions; prioritize mastering programming basics, continuous learning, soft skills, and understanding software development methodologies.

Why Learning to Code Is Life Changing

79 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Creativity Learning Problem Solving Lifelong learning
  1. Learning to code fosters creativity and innovation by enabling you to bring ideas to life and design solutions that make a real difference in the world.
  2. Coding encourages lifelong learning by constantly challenging you to adapt to new technologies and expand your skill set, which enhances creativity and personal growth.
  3. Learning to code opens up various career opportunities by providing a valuable skill set that can improve business value and impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Software Engineering Myths Wasting Your Time

139 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering
  1. Software engineering myths include the idea that you have to learn everything in the field, but it's more practical to focus on specific areas and have a general understanding of others.
  2. The belief that adding more programmers speeds up development isn't always true; it can lead to more delays due to increased need for communication and management.
  3. Software development involves more than just writing code; it includes tasks like planning, testing, deploying, and maintaining software.

These 7 Software Engineering Skills Give You an Unfair Advantage

119 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Cybersecurity Automation Version Control Cloud Computing
  1. Thinking like a hacker helps in identifying and fixing security flaws before they are exploited, crucial in today's cybersecurity landscape.
  2. Understanding different devices through cross-platform critical thinking gives a competitive edge and promotes reusability of business logic.
  3. Scripting and automation for repetitive tasks enhances productivity by ensuring consistency, accuracy, and freeing up time for more complex work.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Fastest Way to Learn Coding and Actually Get a Job

59 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🚌 Education Coding Learning Job Market Skills Career Advice
  1. Choose a flexible programming language like Python or JavaScript to boost your chances of landing a beginner job.
  2. Take your time learning coding through books, tutorials, or courses - don't rush the process. Type along with tutorials and practice consistently.
  3. Build simple projects using frameworks, add them to your portfolio, and deploy them online to enhance your chances when applying for jobs. Showcase your projects and personality in your resume.

Top 10 Signs of an Inexperienced Programmer and How to Avoid Them

39 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Debugging Libraries
  1. Always prioritize the user in programming. User feedback is essential for creating successful products.
  2. Plan before you code. Having a clear plan and design prevents bugs and ensures your code aligns with your goals.
  3. Keep your code organized and clean to work efficiently. Avoid overcomplicating solutions and remember to follow best coding practices.

Why 97% Fail to Learn Software Engineering

19 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Coding Learning Career development Programming
  1. Imposter Syndrome can make you doubt your abilities as a beginner coder, but it's important to set small, achievable goals, seek feedback, and believe in yourself.
  2. Creating a structured roadmap with daily tasks and clear goals is crucial for effective self-teaching in programming. It helps in visualizing progress and staying on track.
  3. Balancing theory with implementation by working on real projects is key. Dedicate time to writing code, fixing issues, and consistent practice to become a proficient programmer.

How to Get Ahead of 99% of Software Engineers

19 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Software Development Coding Networking Personal Development Career growth
  1. Invest time in personal coding projects, starting with small ones and progressing to more complex ones. Quantity is crucial in the beginning, followed by a focus on quality.
  2. Define clear, measurable goals and work backward to plan your learning journey. Reverse engineering your goals helps to track progress and stay motivated.
  3. Develop not just technical skills but also soft skills like communication and teamwork. Networking and surrounding yourself with other developers can lead to valuable opportunities.

How I Remember Everything When Learning to Code

19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🚌 Education Learning Programming Tips Community
  1. Implement what you learn through hands-on practice to bridge theory and application in programming.
  2. Practice Just-In-Time Learning by acquiring knowledge only when it immediately becomes valuable to you.
  3. Don't strive for perfection; focus on understanding the core 20% of information that brings 80% of the results in programming.

Clean Code: The Art of Clean Naming

2 HN points • 06 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Coding
  1. The importance of clean and clear naming in coding cannot be overstated. Good naming makes code understandable for anyone reading it.
  2. Contextual information in variable names is crucial for code clarity and to avoid potential bugs or misuse of variables in larger codebases.
  3. Avoiding magic numbers, abbreviations, and acronyms in code improves readability and maintainability for all developers working on the codebase.

4 Things No One Tells You About Coding Interviews (and how you can improve today)

0 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Coding Communication Problem Solving System Design
  1. Studying data structures and algorithms is only one part of preparing for coding interviews; other essential aspects include communication skills, cultural fit, problem-solving ability, system design, and architecture.
  2. Technical interviews are not just about being technical but also about being a human who can solve technical problems; human skills like communication and cultural fit are crucial in interviews.
  3. Having strong communication skills, fitting into the company's culture, showcasing problem-solving abilities specifically in data structures and algorithms, and possessing knowledge in system design and architecture are key to excelling in coding interviews.

Don't Get Hacked! Top Security Essentials for Software Developers

0 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Security Encryption Data Protection Cybersecurity
  1. Security in software development is crucial to protect applications and users from sophisticated cyber-attacks.
  2. Implement HTTPS encryption to safeguard data transmitted between the user's browser and the server.
  3. Protect user data by employing hashing and encryption methods, such as bcrypt, to secure passwords, thus preventing unauthorized access.