In his latest post Matthew Turland has shared some of his thoughts about how to be a better developer, regardless of the language or skill level you may find yourself at.

I’ve shamefully ripped off the title for this blog post from what I expect will be a phenomenal session given by Ed Finkler at php[tek] 2014. Sadly, I haven’t seen the session and may not be present at the conference. However, I’ve spoken with Ed and seen him give sessions on several occasions, so I know he sets the bar pretty high. If you’ve not considered attending the conference and his session, I highly recommend doing so. Ed has plenty of insightful things to say about being a great developer. Today, the subject coincidentally crossed my mind and I realized I had a few things to say on the matter that may also prove useful to others.

He suggests that there are three main qualities that developers need to become better at their craft and, as a positive side effect, work better with other developers around them. These three points are:

• Humility
• Patience
• Imperfection

For each, he briefly explains the topic and makes some practical suggestions for achieving the goal.

These are things I’ve learned from my own experiences. I state them here realizing that they may be more applicable to me than they are to you. You must form your own opinions and find your own wisdom. [...] In the end, you must find your own path. Regardless of what that path is, I hope you find the passion shared by myself and those who inspire me and I wish you well in your pursuits.