I found this popular and well written article on hackernews, a guy listed his learnings from years working at a big tech corp.
I find they are honest and can guide actions, summarize them into more actionable items here:
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When solving problems, don’t start with a favorite technology but start with deep user obsession.
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When in a debate, don’t focus on being right but focus on getting to "right" together.
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When stuck in analysis, don’t wait for perfection but bias towards action and ship the MVP.
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When writing code, don’t aim for cleverness but prioritize absolute clarity for the next person.
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When choosing a stack, don’t chase every novelty but default to "boring" tools unless innovation is truly required.
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When thinking of career growth, don’t assume code speaks for itself but ensure people can articulate your impact.
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When building features, don’t just create but exhaust the possibility of not writing the code at all.
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When managing legacy, don’t treat bugs as chores but treat compatibility as a core product feature.
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When a team is slow, don’t just push for faster execution but fix the underlying misalignment.
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When facing chaos, don’t dwell on what you can’t change but focus entirely on your sphere of influence.
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When using abstractions, don’t assume they remove complexity but learn the lower-level systems they hide.
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When you want to learn, don’t just consume information but force clarity by writing and teaching it.
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When doing "glue work", don’t do it invisibly but make it a bounded, visible, and documented impact.
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When in an argument, don’t try to "win" but aim to understand and come to win-win situation.
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When tracking metrics, don’t worship a single threshold but pair metrics to gain insight, not just surveillance.
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When you are unsure, don’t pretend to know but admit uncertainty to create a safe culture for curiosity.
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When networking, don’t be transactional but invest in long-term relationships with curiosity and generosity.
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When optimizing performance, don’t add clever caching/layers but start by removing unnecessary work.
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When designing process, don’t create paper trails but ensure it actually reduces risk or increases clarity.
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When managing your life, don’t just trade time for more money but be deliberate about what you give up.
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When building expertise, don’t look for shortcuts but treat your learning like compound interest.