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10 Lessons I Learned from a Principal Engineer That Made Me a Better Developer

Here are 10 powerful lessons I learned from a Principal Engineer that transformed the way I code and think as a developer.

Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

I still remember the first one-on-one I had with our principal engineer. I had just joined the team, eager to prove myself. I expected a technical grilling, but instead, we talked about design principles, business impact, and something he called “engineering maturity.” That conversation shifted my mindset completely.

Over the next year, I shadowed him on tough projects, joined architecture discussions way above my pay grade, and watched how he operated under pressure. What I learned from him transformed how I code, communicate, and contribute.

Here are 10 lessons that made the biggest impact:

1. Write Code for the Engineer Who Replaces You

“Your code should tell a story,” he said. “One that the next person can follow without guessing the plot.”