There are so many exciting things happening in Javascript world. It’s so great to float in the ocean full of new frameworks, isomorphic apps and higher order components. It’s pure joy. However, being outstanding developer isn’t easy.
Here is the thing, you are either shark or sheep in the community. Nowadays, you have to be a shark, by all means, there is no time to look around or back.
Follow the trends and be open
I hope that comes without saying. Follow “Javascript Weekly”. Star new projects on GitHub. Retweet as many announces as you can.
It’s okay if you don’t have time to dig into a new framework, no one has. At least you help the community to stay aware and improve by retweeting and starring.
Know your side
It’s a war.
There are sharks, on one side of the barricade, who try to keep up and be on the crest of a wave. These guys are always ready to introduce new awesome framework and make the world a better place.
There are sheep on the other side. These naggers always concerned, busy refactoring something and hardly know how awesome react-create-app is.
Do you wanna be a retrograde or innovative? There it is.
Be functional
Functional programming is a must today. The good thing is it won’t take much of your time. You have to know what is a pure function (it’s good), side-effects (they are bad) and remember that there are no side-effects in functional code. Ah, also, there is a mystical “monad” who no one understands. Keep that in mind and don’t push too hard trying to wrap your head around it.
Love Javascript
In order to be a good Javascript developer, you have to love Javascript.
Here it is, our philosophy is basically this, and this is something that we live by, and we always have, and we always will. Don't ever, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you've been, ever, for any reason whatsoever, think that there is something better than Javascript.
Be opinionated
Your opinion is another thing that makes you delightful companion. See, you love javascript, follow the trends, you are smart and registered on Twitter. So there is no way you don’t have an opinion on a particular thing.
— How do you compare Angular and React? Don’t they solve different problems?
— Duh, they are both frameworks. And React has three times more stars on GitHub, and it beats stupid Angular in ToDoMVC! React is way better than Angular!
— What do you think of types in Javascript?
— Javascript is great, and you don’t need types!
— Well, it still really want to try them, just not sure how TypeScript is different from Flow…
— Of course, Flow is better, because they know the shit at Facebook!
– Hey, what do you think about NPM and Yarn?
— Of course, Yarn is better, because they know the shit at Facebook!
You can even allow yourself to be a bit of an asshole. Smart people are usually like that.
– Dude, I feel like I struggle a lot with server requests in Redux…
— That’s because you don’t know shit about functional programming, idiot! It’s called “side-effect”.
See the strategy? Again, to be a good companion you have to remember many things as GitHub’s star ratio, latest comparison’s results and frameworks’ names after all.
Good luck
These simple advice will make you an outstanding Javascript developer in no time. You are smart enough, just follow them blindly.
Keep up! Star! Retweet!