From more than ten years in software roles across Turkey, Afghanistan, England, and Canada, I developed a few principles that may help people entering the field or trying to grow in it.
They come from companies of very different sizes and structures. Some are also covered in Chad Fowler’s book The Passionate Programmer.
For people entering software development, or trying to grow in it.
Choose your market
The software industry is huge and continually growing, so it is impossible to be an expert in everything. Give thought to where you want to focus. It is generally better to specialize in one area and remain a generalist in a few others.
Will you become a frontend, backend, or mobile developer? Choose work you care about, then develop real depth. New frameworks, tools, and libraries appear constantly — strong computer-science foundations and a continuous-learning mindset help you keep pace without chasing every trend.
Invest in yourself
Learn the fundamentals and how things work, so you do not rely on copying code without understanding it.
Make self-development a habit. Read books, join courses, and watch technical talks. Spending more hours in front of a computer can be difficult after a full workday, so also attend community workshops and local sessions — you can learn something new while building a professional network.
If you are considering software development as a career, learn to fish: learn to code.
Be remarkable
Set high standards for yourself. A developer connected to the internet can access many of the same tools and learning opportunities as someone in Europe or the United States. Recognize that possibility, and put in the active effort required to move beyond “good enough.”
It is not glamorous. Be disciplined in your work, arrive on time, fulfil promises, and stay organized. Those habits are the start of remarkable work.
Market yourself by contributing
Write a blog post, deliver a session in your local developer community, publish an instructional video, volunteer to teach coding, or mentor someone entering the field.
Contribute because it helps the community; it will also make your work visible.
From developers starting out
The mottos four graduates of the Web & AI Bootcamp 2026 chose for their Demo Day profiles — now beginning careers of their own.
Learn. Build. Fail. Improve. Repeat.
Today for tomorrow.
Challenges are not barriers; they are opportunities to grow, learn, and become stronger.
Don’t let where you come from limit where you can go.
It is similar everywhere
After working in very different countries, I found that software development, and the way many companies operate, are remarkably similar. The stress of not knowing what you are doing, the consequences of poor discipline, and the risk of burnout exist everywhere. So do the joy and satisfaction of learning a difficult skill and delivering good work on time.
Because the industry relies on the internet, developers can connect to a global community and draw on knowledge from people in very different places. That can be especially valuable to people beginning careers in countries that have historically been isolated.
It is a career that crosses borders — whether you are in a teahouse in Shar-e-Naw, a library in central London, or a cafe in Seattle.
