6 Backend Mistakes Keeping You Stuck at Junior Level

by Eric Roby

📚 Main Topics

  1. Understanding System Engineering vs. Coding
  2. Common Pitfalls in Development
  3. Testing and User Experience
  4. Designing for Failure
  5. Debugging and Traceability
  6. The Role of AI in Development

✨ Key Takeaways

  • The difference between a junior developer and an experienced engineer lies in the ability to think about the entire system, not just individual pieces of code.
  • Ask how to make systems work reliably for thousands of users, considering potential failures.

1. Understanding System Engineering vs. Coding

2. Common Pitfalls in Development

  • Function Blind SpotFocusing only on the immediate function without considering the broader system can lead to failures.
  • It Works on My Machine CurseCode may work in a local environment but fail in production due to overlooked performance issues (e.g., N+1 query problem).

3. Testing and User Experience

  • Avoid the "Perfect User Delusion" by testing with bad data and edge cases, not just happy paths.
  • Real users will not follow expected patterns; they may input unexpected data or make mistakes.

4. Designing for Failure

  • The "Everything Will Be Fine Fantasy" emphasizes the need to prepare for external service failures by implementing timeouts and retry logic.
  • Hope is not a strategy; proactive design is essential to handle failures gracefully.

5. Debugging and Traceability

  • The "Ghost Problem Trap" illustrates the importance of detailed logging and tracing to identify issues that occur sporadically.
  • Systems should be designed to be debuggable, with comprehensive logs, metrics, and tracing capabilities.

6. The Role of AI in Development

  • AI can enhance productivity but should not replace critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Developers must understand the code generated by AI and ensure it meets the necessary requirements and edge cases.

🧠 Lessons Learned

  • Always consider the entire system when developing software, not just individual components.
  • Test thoroughly with a variety of inputs, including invalid and edge cases.
  • Design systems with failure in mind, implementing timeouts and proper error handling.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of your code and systems, even when using AI tools to assist in development.
  • Prioritize debugging and traceability to quickly identify and resolve issues in production environments.

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