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Keep Calm And Code On: A Tactical Guide for Navigating the Pitfalls of Software Development
There's a lot more to being a successful software developer than writing great code alone.
You have to understand how to approach problems with the right mindset. How to determine when an idea is worth pursuing. How to work effectively as part of a team. How to add value in line with the bigger picture. How to ask the right questions now that can save so much time and energy later. How to continually find joy and satisfaction in your projects instead of burning out. And so much more.
You can learn these lessons the hard way, or you can read this book.
We know unequivocally that our growth is often tied to how we approach our work, especially in an industry as ever-evolving as software. If you're a developer or engineer, that evolution is both part of what makes it exciting and part of what makes the "how" and "why" (not just the "what") so important. In Keep Calm and Code On, Alex Lau draws on more than two decades of experience in the software industry to pinpoint and explain common pitfalls, how to avoid them, and what to do instead.
Whether you're a seasoned industry veteran wondering how to optimize your processes and address any blind spots, a newer developer trying to see around potential corners in your career, or somewhere in between, this is a book you'll find yourself coming back to again and again.
You have to understand how to approach problems with the right mindset. How to determine when an idea is worth pursuing. How to work effectively as part of a team. How to add value in line with the bigger picture. How to ask the right questions now that can save so much time and energy later. How to continually find joy and satisfaction in your projects instead of burning out. And so much more.
You can learn these lessons the hard way, or you can read this book.
We know unequivocally that our growth is often tied to how we approach our work, especially in an industry as ever-evolving as software. If you're a developer or engineer, that evolution is both part of what makes it exciting and part of what makes the "how" and "why" (not just the "what") so important. In Keep Calm and Code On, Alex Lau draws on more than two decades of experience in the software industry to pinpoint and explain common pitfalls, how to avoid them, and what to do instead.
Whether you're a seasoned industry veteran wondering how to optimize your processes and address any blind spots, a newer developer trying to see around potential corners in your career, or somewhere in between, this is a book you'll find yourself coming back to again and again.
- GenresProgramming
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2024
23 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 2, 2025
A short but sweet introduction to some of the challenges - pitfalls - faced by software engineers throughout their careers. The chapters are concise but informative; each explores one such pitfall by first giving an example from the author's own career, then explaining its impact and advising on how you can avoid it before ending with handy questions for personal self reflection . The language is consistently clear and approachable, with a friendly tone, good flow and no technical jargon. Overall, this is an extremely valuable read for anyone just starting out on their software engineering journey, as well as a great reminder for those further along their career path.
September 9, 2024
A well written, fairly short book that does exactly what it sets out to do and does so in a pleasingly (at least to many developer minds, I’m sure) structured way.
Not much of it is surprising for a developer who has been around coding teams for a few years and consumes developer content online - but it’s a really pleasing recap and overview of common pitfalls, well referenced in the author’s own experience.
I enjoyed the encouragement to self-reflect at the end of each chapter and the overall tone with which the book encourages developers to be their best selves in the business context. It seems slightly counter-cultural almost to suggest that a developer should think of their job as more than just taking tickets and implementing features.
Enjoyed it!
Not much of it is surprising for a developer who has been around coding teams for a few years and consumes developer content online - but it’s a really pleasing recap and overview of common pitfalls, well referenced in the author’s own experience.
I enjoyed the encouragement to self-reflect at the end of each chapter and the overall tone with which the book encourages developers to be their best selves in the business context. It seems slightly counter-cultural almost to suggest that a developer should think of their job as more than just taking tickets and implementing features.
Enjoyed it!
September 29, 2025
Keep Calm and Code On is an easy-to-digest guide for software developers navigating the ups and downs of their careers. It highlights common pitfalls developers face and offers practical strategies to avoid them. As an entry-level developer, I found it especially valuable and believe it will serve as a useful reference to return to throughout my career. I recommend this to anyone interested in getting into tech.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews