In the fast-paced world of software development, why reinvent the wheel when you can just copy-paste someone else’s? We live in a copy-paste culture, where solving problems often means borrowing what already works.

And that’s exactly what npm packages and tech conference talks have in common. Both are shortcuts. Both exist so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Let’s explore how these two seemingly different worlds share the same philosophy of borrowed brilliance.

We all know the CSS blinds meme, right? Or the CSS is Awesome text that exceeds the box? These seem to appeal to many developers these days, perhaps even more than in the past. We've started leveraging JavaScript or TypeScript-oriented frameworks and features, while relying on Tailwind to help us style our interfaces.

We've drifted away from one of the main pillars of the web: CSS is not a main focus anymore but an afterthought—something to slap onto a bit of interactive code. Leaning on these frameworks can lead to lower maintenance and more up-to-date knowledge of CSS.

As developers most of the actual work is done behind the scenes (or screens). This is not just for backend development, but goes for frontend development just as well. Consider all the time, effort and planning that goes into executing a technical solution or building an interface. Aligning between multiple stakeholders or comparing technical solutions and routes before implementing, goes largely unnoticed.

In most cases, what the end user sees, is just the tip of an iceberg! With "going public" I mean proudly exposing the underside of that iceberg. Not for the sake of the end user, but for your self. You should always consider contributing to your personal brand!

As a mentor via CodingCoach.io I'm currently working my way through the 21 Days of Code coding challenge by Lighthouse Labs with my mentees. I thought to share our findings and resolutions here, as well as offer some perspective on these events.

Firstly, I kind of like this iteration (we've previously did a similar coding challenge side by side). We're following a storyline involving the Mayor of Codeville and face different kinds of challenges. It's nice to have some context and not simply solving problems. I think this is a really engaging way of keeping interest and motivation.

Software development has such a high velocity compared to other industries because ideas and concepts can be shared so efficiently. I think the best description is the expression: “Standing on the shoulders of giants”: Make smart use of the work of your predecessors and colleagues. Use that also when acquiring knowledge: you don't have to do everything yourself. The development community is very large and helpful and a lot of information is easily accessible.

If anything was indicative of the frontend community in 2016, it was the term JavaScript Fatigue. What does it mean? The number of JavaScript frameworks has exploded over the past period. Indeed, it is an overwhelming number of new methods, tools and techniques available to us as developers. What can you do to keep your head above water or even take advantage of these rapid developments?