Can a Programmer's Experience Lead to False Beliefs?

Programmers have to learn an incredible amount of information to even BEGIN to be effective at their job. So it's only natural that we don't like to find out something we learned - is wrong in a different context. With so much invested, being open to the possibility that there's a better way to do things can be hard.

In this episode, I share some mindset limitations that we can fall into in tech job roles. We can feel so strongly about experiences we've had, that they blind us from being open to other equally valid perspectives. Every one of these is a mistake I've made more than once in my career.

I hope by being aware of these, you don't end up believing lies. Instead, this information can help you make wiser decisions on your software project - so you don't end up looking like a fool.

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CHAPTER MARKERS

0:00 Introduction
1:43 5 Mindset Limitations Programmers Believe
1:53 1. Binary Thinking
5:16 2. Anecdotal Overconfidence
12:12 3. Absolutist Stances
16:05 4. Recency Bias
19:03 5. Vanity Metrics

#programmer #biases #limitingbeliefs

[HealthyDev]

Have you ever fallen into the mindset limitations described in this episode? What happened when you were fooled by them? How did things get better once you realized your mistake?

[steves]

We programmers need to remember that users don’t care about the technology behind the application only the result

[dreri]

A lie many people I know believe: Being a better programmer makes you a better person

[xlerb]

All those little arguments we have about is A better than B. What I've found is so long as everyone is in (more or less) agreement on the chosen paths it doesn't make that much of a difference. The obvious bad choices were weeded out or never even considered before you got down to A vs. B. And you're spot on for all those topics. In my 30 years I've been on a lot of projects, lots of different managers, lots of different ways of doing things. I've talked to a DB about every way imaginable. And I figured out what works for me in a successful and satisfying career. Get it right and it's a mighty rewarding career. But 30 years is enough. My first day of retirement today. So this is all somebody else's problem for me now ;)

[seandavies]

I came from a physics background. I naively thought that for a field based in logic it might be filled with very reasonable people who assessed things in a rational manner. It still shocks me on a daily basis how far away from that ideal the field is

[dakoderii]

My computer is guilty of binary thinking.

[w.mcnamara]

The point on anecdotal overconfidence is spot on and it really helped to hear someone who feels the same way. I am really frustrated when people see a different form, paradigm or method and their kneejerk reaction is to say "Thats bad" or "thats dumb", "just use xyz lol" or "thats wrong", instead of saying "why is it like this? Why have they implemented it like that? Is there something preventing them from doing it the way I believe is better? Is my way actually even better?"

How can you look at the topmost tip of the iceberg of a software related decision, and then immediatly become, smug, condescending, assertive or dismissive about something that you know nothing about? Maybe there are reasons the project is like that, or why a certain tool or paradigm is used? If there are, then you need to take time to learn and explore the decision, codebase, developers and the project to learn why, instead of being an ass about it, or being dismissive.

We as developers need to do better on the emotional maturity front as a whole.

[andrearaimondi]

“Management is useless” is a belief usually stemming from work history where the results of bad management impact sometimes to the point of PTSD.

[bobbycrosby]

I wish more online tech discussions would include details. Sometimes they are nuanced but without those details, people will interpret the nuance in different ways. People use vague terms like "scale" and "large" and "small". These words mean different things to someone working at Google, a high frequency trading firm, or a 2 person startup being led by people with no professional software development experience.

[ianstallings]

An underlying theme of your videos is that engineers need to show a bit more "emotional intelligence" and learn to communicate and work with a team together. I fully support this because I've found the same thing in my career.

[ryankdavidson]

Love your approach on your channel, need more nuanced and tempered “tough love but with support”takes like this. Keep up the great work.

[theguypersondude]

I love these videos, because they are general information that can be applied to any career.

I work in desktop support, and have no work experience yet in programming, but these videos are preparing me for that next role.

[christianbaer]

I have been wrong about the Tabs vs Spaces debate for a long time. It doesn't matter *most* of the time. If everybody is healthy and doing fine, use whatever you like. Modern editors can handle conversion. The moment you start working with someone who has a visual impairment or some reading problems, you want to switch to Tabs. The argument "But Tabs do not look the same on all devices" is exactly the point. You can tune your device to your needs.
What do we learn from that? Sometimes there is a right answer (in this case Tabs), but it doesn't matter unless you meet someone who needs this to matter.

[jerms_mcerms]

Funny enough, programming has taught me that I am wrong ALL THE TIME XD

[despahotaru]

Not a programmer but works mostly in automation testing and DevOps. Lot of you said applies as well. Trying to be open minded and just genuinely listening really well. Listening to others is a valuable but often overlooked skill that can either make or break your career. Technical skills are important but soft skills and communication as well.

[_Sense]

This video hit the nail on the head. I'm a retired developer, some things that I learned during my career is that you need to understand the environment you are currently working in before critiquing their way of doing things or suggesting changes. Also soft skills are vitally important, , learn to communicate with management and other stakeholders on a nontechnical level, this will make you life much easier, and they will be more receptive to your suggestions.

[ajr]

14:31 they key point in this video is to keep your biases in check. We all have biases and they often lead us astray. Biases and absolutism will sabotage your career. Also, try not to carry your past baggage everywhere you go. You shouldn't judge new people you haven't worked with before the same way as your past experiences. Give people the benefit of the doubt and maintain a positive mentality. That will lead to success in your career.

[breakpoin]

I enjoy watching your videos on my lunch break

[siclvceatlvx]

I'm pretty susceptible to vanity metrics. I will get a kick out of the size of a PR, the number of words written or hours worked. Not sure if it has ever impacted choices I've made (probably has) but I do catch myself sometimes. It's interesting to spot those little logical fallacies that can and will influence what you do next

[GuyRutter]

Really great video. I’ve encountered the Overconfidence in anecdotal evidence so many times along with the absolutist stance I’ve started calling it Rutters law. That whatever well established principle or concept you know in software development there will always be a small but growing group who describe it as an anti pattern. 😂 it works for everything. I have a slide with everything from Agile to Angular and links to ‘x is dead’ YouTube video.