A great developer isn't someone only with excellent technical skills–there's more to the story.
Although it's essential, learning rote skills is the easy part of the equation. They're something anyone can acquire, given time and effort.
They are like the foundation and framework of a house, which needs to be solid or the building will collapse. Tradesmen are expected to do this job properly by default.
However, the entire construction of the home needs to be exquisite, otherwise the final product will be shoddy and you wouldn't want to live in it.
You would never hire a builder who was only able to properly construct the foundation and framework. You'd be looking for someone who does an excellent job at everything, so the home is beautiful, resilient, and doesn't degrade over time.
Not only that, you'd want to make sure they're a nice, easy person to deal with, who communicates properly, is honest throughout the entire process, and delivers the final package with no headaches.
These qualities can be summarised into holistic principles, which produce world-class results. They are the difference between greatness and excellence:
- A meticulous attention to detail (so no stone is left unturned)
- An obsession with quality and craftsmanship (so every component is a perfect part of the whole). This is why Swiss, German, and Japanese engineering cultures are world famous
- A strong balance of analytical and creative thinking (both are necessary to deliver an amazing product)
- Ability to engage in deep work and flow state (a commonly undertapped superpower)
- Commitment to lifelong learning (there's an endless amount of new things to learn in software development)
- The ability to make clear and precise decisions without fatigue, for every step of the project's completion (so it doesn't become derailed at any point)
- Clear and precise communication, so the project is steered correctly throughout its lifetime
- Strong design sense is important if it's a front-end project. Even if there's designers on board, this helps to follow requirements and ensure the UI/UX is as refined as possible
- Excellent business savvy is important for a seamless experience for customers, and to ensure the product is highly profitable
There's many more things I could mention, but you get the point. When all of these keys combine perfectly, you've hit the jackpot.
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