Leonid Mamchenkov has linked over to a great thread over on Quora that asks the question "[What are some things you wish you knew when you started programming?

](https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-things-you-wish-you-knew-when-you-started-programming)?"

The post is originally from Ken Mazaika, CTO, Co-founder & Mentor @ thefirehoseproject.com but it has expanded way beyond his original list of 27 things. There's comments sharing everything from personal experiences out to their own lists of things they wish they knew. Topics mentioned include:

• the "cognitive burden"
• the importance of getting away from the screen sometimes
• the value in listening, not just hearing, your colleagues
• thinking about security at all times
• learning the "why" of coding, not just the "how"

There's a lot more in this post so get over and start reading. There tips in here for everyone, both those new to programming and those that have been doing it for years.