Name: How To REALLY Level Up Your Coding Ability With Side Projects
Uploaded: 2022-12-09T21:17:48+00:00
Duration: 4 min 18 s
Description: There is no secret to getting better at coding: As a software engineer, you will become faster at coding when you write

How To REALLY Level Up Your Coding Ability With Side Projects

There is no secret to getting better at coding: As a software engineer, you will become faster at coding when you write more code. This is where side projects can really come in.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **Side projects are a productivity "hack"** - They allow you to write more code without overworking yourself. The self-guided, free nature of side projects essentially make them a hobby that also helps your performance at work.
- **When to consider side projects** - There are 2 factors that make this lever far more powerful:
  - You work at a startup: Startup code will be much more "vanilla" and closer to the code you find online. This means that it won't be too different from side project code.
  - You work on the front-end: If you're a web/iOS/Android developer and are working with pixels on screen, this puts you in a great position to do side projects as your work is inherently more sharable.
- **Side projects develop other important skills** - On top of raw coding, side projects also help you dabble in the skills of product managers, designers, data scientists, user researchers, and a whole lot more since you own the product entirely. These skills are also important for software engineers, especially those pursuing senior levels.

This highlight is from our masterclass about becoming a better coder. You can watch the full video here: [[Masterclass] How To Write Better Code Faster As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/iYpRj8XfyzCSaTYnce3y/masterclass-how-to-write-better-code-faster-as-a-software-engineer/)

Related resources:
- [[Masterclass] How To Come Up With 100k+ Users App Ideas You Can Build For Free](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/AI4zi759PSGn6RwIFT6f/masterclass-how-to-come-up-with-100k-users-app-ideas-you-can-build-for-free/)
- [[Masterclass] How To Build And Grow Tech Products To 500k+ Users For Free](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/OEuX0KMhcnNSTJ50Voee/masterclass-how-to-build-and-grow-tech-products-to-500k-users-for-free/)
- ["What technologies or stacks should I create a project to add in my resume for entry level software jobs?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/c0DiG5ureLbkZ1mKD9Rf/what-technologies-or-stacks-should-i-create-a-project-to-add-in-my-resume-for-entry-level-software-jobs/)

There is no secret to getting better at coding: As a software engineer, you will become faster at coding when you write 

This collection represents the best of what Taro has to offer, personally curated by Alex and Rahul. If you're short on time, go through the content here.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day - The difference is that some are able to get far more out of it than others. Here's what they're doing that others aren't.

The beautiful thing about software is that it can be built anywhere. Build personal software projects to make yourself more lucrative to employers or even improve at your current job.

[Masterclass] How To Write Better Code Faster As A Software Engineer

Code: It's the main thing software engineers care about. However, as we all know, writing code quickly while keeping it clean can be extremely difficult. This is what this masterclass will help you with: We want to empower you to not only write more code, but write higher-quality code as well.

There were a ton of important points from this masterclass, so here's our Top 5 (in no particular order):
- **Go deep, not wide** - One of the most common mistakes junior software engineers make is not focusing on just 1 stack, often captured by being a "full-stack engineer". When you go ultra-deep on just 1 stack, you will start developing software engineering fundamentals and "muscle memory" that allows you to write code a lot faster. It will generally take 2-4 years of focus on just 1 stack to start getting really good at it. For more information about this point, check out this video: [This Is How Software Engineers Should Initially Learn](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/wUl3hc2wr1ms493bd23b/this-is-how-software-engineers-should-initially-learn/)
- **Build side projects** - There's no magic to getting better at coding: The more you do it, the stronger your skill. This is why side projects are so powerful: They allow you to write more code without overworking yourself as we talk about in this discussion: ["How will side projects enhance my skills as a software engineer on the job?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/KORArGLRW6mNn47ddC1S/how-will-side-projects-enhance-my-skills-as-a-software-engineer-on-the-job/)
- **Submit polished pull requests** - There's more to code than the raw lines you put into commits; how you submit it for review is a huge factor as well. If you take the time to make atomic PRs, add context, and attach a thorough test plan, your code will be landed much faster (and your team will love you for it). For concrete examples on what this looks like, watch this: [One Diff, One Thesis - What Every Code Review Should Be Like](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/3NAbmgiaY3IpvayNIoVl/one-diff-one-thesis-what-every-code-review-should-be-like/)
- **Really absorb code review feedback** - The main way you will learn as a junior engineer or as an onboarding team member is by getting feedback on your code. Make sure to respond to code review feedback in a timely manner (<4 hours) and really soak it in: Strive to never make the same code quality mistake twice. If you're having trouble getting your code reviewed fast, follow the advice here: [Quick Tips To Get Higher Quality Code Reviews Faster](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/QgDk2yWlfWzgLjh56bSq/quick-tips-to-get-higher-quality-code-reviews-faster/)
- **Modularize your code** - Split your code up into focused components with single responsibilities and thoughtful names. When you do this, your code will be much more flexible, reusable, and easier to read. Here's our advice on how to break down large projects into more digestible chunks: ["How can I be better at executing on my work when it comes to coding and breaking down ambiguity?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/6lfyIKgkoclcDNKWq9o3/how-can-i-be-better-at-executing-on-my-work-when-it-comes-to-coding-and-breaking-down-ambiguity/)

Related resources:
- [[Masterclass] How To Manage Your Time Optimally In Tech And Achieve More Results](https://link.jointaro.com/8D6Y6BnYm8696RtC9)
- [[Masterclass] How To Do Amazing Code Review](https://link.jointaro.com/8D6Y6BnYm8696RtC9)
- ["What can I do to quickly build my reputation as a junior engineer?"](https://link.jointaro.com/hxCTvumsQhUqRAbn6)
- [Presentation slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17o6XlEjiYbkV1FMrhOoFwcM1O59NmdAOfZ3AXol7daY/edit?usp=sharing)