The Biz of Writing Code

There’s no doubt that creating good and functional software requires a lot of effort. However, to become a successful software developer, you need to know more and do more! Despite the preconceived notions, being a good software developer is more than just learning how to code and being a master of various technical skills. 

For example, you’re creating custom software for a specific business function most of the time. Hence, to understand the nuances that go into the software, you need to have a basic understanding of certain business processes. Furthermore, as a developer, you’ll need to interact with peers, clients, and coworkers like designers, managers, QA experts, among others. 

So, in this post, we’ll cover some of the most important business functions every developer should learn to get a competitive edge and succeed. 

1. Get An Understanding of The Customer’s Business

According to a study published by Salesforce Research, 80% of customers believe the experience a company provides is as essential as the products and services it offers. Hence, it’s important you properly understand the client and their business to provide them with a strong customer experience. No matter how skilled you are, it’s almost impossible to create efficient software without understanding its purpose and who the end-user is. If you don’t understand the ‘WHAT,’ you’ll never be able to crack the ‘HOW.’ 

By developing a proper understanding of your customer, their likes and dislikes, the purpose of the application, and their target audience, you’ll be able to start the project with a much better understanding of the scope of work. As a result, you’ll not only reduce the number of changes needed but can provide a better customer experience as well. 

2. Reporting Always Comes In Handy

Understanding data is essential across all industries and types of businesses, making the right reporting important. By maintaining an accurate report, you can keep all the information you need systematic and standardized. In addition, from planning to tracking progress, reporting makes life easier for your clients as they have regular updates about project progress. 

3. Time Management Skills 

Some suggest this is the most important skill a software developer can have after programming. Whether we’re talking about a large-scale project or if you’re working solo, time and organizational management are essential. Success as a programmer requires you to master the art of time and management and organization to deliver work that’s expected when it’s expected.

You could consider using a time tracking tool made for software developers to help you better manage your time.

4. Compliance To Prevent Any Potential Issues 

To avoid getting into any issues with the law, you must adhere to the norms and regulations of your industry. Regulatory bodies ensure your customers are protected, and you are acting according to the law. Therefore, a better understanding of compliance and its role is a must-have skill for every developer. 

As a go-to method for assuring compliance with regulatory requirements, many firms consider spreadsheets an important tool. As a developer, you want to ensure your workflow meets your client’s objectives and commitments while maintaining compliance with your local, state, and federal guidelines.

5. Attention To Detail

Sometimes the simplest fault in code might be a problem for software developers. Hence, having a keen eye and attention to detail is crucial. The more you practice bug fixing, the better you’ll be at it when you have to do it professionally. 

6. Growth Hacking 

Every company, regardless of industry, has a common goal of expansion. Moreover, almost every industry and specialized market is competitive. As a result, growth hacking has become important for SaaS and e-commerce companies to stay ahead of the competition.

Growth hacking is a fantastic skill to learn for a programmer because your coding aptitudes will surely come in handy. For example, for A/B testing on your company website, your coding skills will allow you to experiment with different things without constantly depending on a developer. 

You won’t have to wait for your request to be handled by the development team if you notice something that needs experimentation for possible improvement. There are no hold-ups in getting the answers you need and growing your business faster with real-time modifications.

7. Project Management 

Working with project managers, scrum masters, and technical leads might be difficult if you’re unfamiliar with the vocabulary and methods that define your workflow. However, learning the fundamentals of project management makes it easier to collaborate with others and manage your workload. Understanding the fundamentals helps you determine what roles each team member should play and the tasks for which they should be responsible. 

Providing task estimates is a good example. If you think as a program developer while giving an estimate to a client, you’ll only think about your role and provide an estimate based on the amount of time it’ll require you to code. 

This approach will lead to discrepancies, as you’ve not considered product design, code implementation, testing, and deployment. However, by understanding project management and learning the responsibilities of other team members, you can provide more accurate estimates. 

8. Financial Management 

One of the most important aspects of any business is invoicing because if you do it incorrectly, it will impact your income. Proper invoice management is the foundation of strong financial management. 

So, regardless of if you’re a freelance software developer or are working with a team of people, learning about financial management benefits you. Learning about financial management benefits you whether you’re a freelancer or working with a team of people. 

Did you know automation can reduce the cost of a single invoice by 60-80 percent? You can use automation tools for revenue forecasting and payment management, but that’s only a start. You can also use a customized invoice to promote products or services and build customer loyalty. Nearly every facet of corporate administration can benefit from the information collected in these tools.

With automation, you can ensure your customers receive timely and tailored invoices. All you have to do is check the work is accurate. That’s great for your business. Timely and precise invoices tend to be paid on time.

9. Team & People Management

Even though many people overlook soft skills, they are equally as important as programming languages because they can be learned and practiced. For example, if you want to succeed as a software developer, you’ll need to communicate clearly and effectively with people and your team. 

Being a good communicator demands being a good listener and vice versa. Every person you interact with has the right to be heard, and their input could help you do your work more effectively. Therefore, focus solely on the person you’re conversing with and nothing else.

Keep an eye out for nonverbal communication cues can reveal as much as what you’re hearing. So, pay attention to what your colleagues and clients say with these cues. 

Even if they aren’t saying anything.

10. Flexibility and Self-Learning

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish,” as Steve Jobs once said. Great developers have a strong desire to learn and aren’t scared to try new things.

We live in an ever-changing world of technology. Every day, new tools and techniques are invented and implemented. An ambitious learner in the technology sector has an advantage over a developer who has become comfortable with their development stack and techniques. The day you decide to stop learning is when you’re on the road to obsolescence.

Try new things, and don’t be afraid to fail.  One of the most valuable abilities you may have as a software developer is staying up to date with technological changes and always improving your skills.

Conclusion 

Competition for jobs in the software industry is fierce. Every software developer knows how to code in one or more programming languages, regardless of their level of expertise. So, coding abilities alone aren’t enough to propel one’s career in software development forward.

Never allow your career to plateau after the first few years of employment. The ten skills listed above will help you become an outstanding software developer and achieve your career goals at every stage.

Also Read: 10 Best Coding Practices!