💡17 React Tips from a Senior Dev

And mistakes engineers make in large established code bases.

Hey guys, happy Thursday!

In today’s newsletter, we’re diving into React tips from a senior engineer, navigating large codebases, and avoiding database pitfalls. Plus, Dillon Shook shares job-hunting strategies after layoffs, and Simon Willison recaps the biggest LLM breakthroughs of 2024.

Now, let's get into the newsletter! 🤙 

⚡️ The Latest In React 

💼 17 Tips from a Senior React Developer
Ndeye, a seasoned engineer at Palantir with over 5 years of experience, shares 17 game-changing React tips he wishes he knew when starting out.

📰 The fastest way to an impartial point-of-view
The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources ranging from culture and science to sports and politics to create one email that gets you all caught up on the day’s events in 5 minutes. According to Gallup, 51% of Americans can’t think of a news source that reports the news objectively. It’s 100% free. It has everything you need to be aware of for the day. And most importantly, it simplifies your life. [ad]

⚠️ Mistakes engineers make in large established codebases
Navigating large, established codebases is one of the toughest challenges for software engineers. Personal projects and open-source work can’t truly prepare you for the complexity of systems with millions of lines of code, hundreds of contributors, and a decade or more of history. After 10 years in these environments, Sean Goedecke shares the lessons he wishes he knew from day one.

🔎 Laid Off for the First Time In My Career
Dillon Shook, a seasoned engineer who faced two layoffs last year, shares invaluable job-hunting tips in this blog. Whether you’re searching for your first job, navigating a layoff, or exploring new opportunities, I think this blog is a good read.

🗄️ How to Choose the Right Database
The database you choose plays a critical role in the quality and scalability of your project. Picking the wrong one can lead to major headaches later, especially when dealing with migrations involving active users and live data. This blog teaches you how to approach database decisions.

🧠 Things we learned about LLMs in 2024
Simon Willison’s viral post, "Things We Learned About LLMs in 2024," has been shared a ton over the past week, and for good reason. This past year brought significant developments in the world of LLMs. His post summarises the key themes, pivotal moments, and what we’ve figured out over the last 12 months.

Quick Links

The Biggest Mistake Intermediate React Developers Make

In my latest video, I look at one of the biggest mistakes that intermediate React developers often stumble into.

Now, this isn’t your typical "bad code vs. good code" discussion, it’s much more nuanced. We’re talking about good code versus better code. What makes this mistake so intriguing is that it usually stems from the best intentions. That’s exactly why it’s so easy to fall into this trap.

Check it out below. 👇️ 

See you soon!

Darius