--- title: "Todd (@theonlyrealtodd) | Hashnode" description: "Software Security TechLead. Read the latest articles by Todd on Hashnode." url: "https://hashnode.com/@theonlyrealtodd" --- @theonlyrealtodd # Todd @theonlyrealtodd · San Diego, California · Joined August 2016 Software Security TechLead ## Comments [I agree with Mario Giambanco and Emil Moe here. Learning language syntax is only a tiny fraction of being a modern-day developer. Let's say that I believe that you actually learned the entire language of JavaScript in 20 hours total. By the way, this would never happen, but let's just say it did. Even then, as an interviewer, I would be wondering: 1.) Does this person know their way around version control systems like Git, SVN, GitHub, GitLab, etc... 2.) Can this person present their ideas well to others? 3.) Can this person adhere to deadlines and are they an efficient worker? 4.) Is this person passionate about the subject or just trying to collect a paycheck? Newbies often underestimate the amount that the "non-coding" skills matter. Do you know software build systems like maven, cargo, autotools, CMake, make, etc...? Do you know how to properly configure an IDE and write unit tests? Are you comfortable getting up and leading a meeting or discussion? There are SO many things to being a good software developer that matter and that hiring managers are looking for, that even if you were able to learn an entire language in just 20 hours, you would still need much more time to learn. That all being said, you can learn 1 subject in a language in 20 hours and maybe mediocre at best. I guarantee you if you spent all week learning about pointers in C this week, in 1 year from now, you would still learn something you didnt know about pointers even after a week of study. All that being said, yes, I agree that 20 hours of time per subject is enough time to get your feet wet and start using that construct when programing. Cheers, Todd](https://hashnode.com/posts/10000-hours-nope-learn-something-new-in-20/5eada36f26e78ca711dfc2c8/comment/5eb8bbebd820f6513982532d) Comment · Article · May 11, 2020 · [10,000 hours? Nope. Learn something new in 20!](https://hashnode.com/posts/10000-hours-nope-learn-something-new-in-20/5eada36f26e78ca711dfc2c8) [Awesome, thank you!](https://hashnode.com/posts/git-merge-vs-rebase/5e8347db8267309a3c272c28/comment/5e8984802fcec10052c105ba) Comment · Article · Apr 5, 2020 · [Git Merge vs Rebase](https://hashnode.com/posts/git-merge-vs-rebase/5e8347db8267309a3c272c28) [No. If you do have it, I urge you to read the below. I'm going to be pretty blunt, but realize that at one point I had it as well and now I don't. Imposter Syndrome is selfish and egotistical Stop focusing on yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others. Start focusing on comparing yourself to past you... Start focusing on learning and doing a better job. "Imposter syndrome" does nothing good for you and nothing good for anyone else. All it can possibly do is make things worse for everyone. Someone who feels they aren't good enough is either depressed or out to prove that they are good enough. These are both toxic to you and the people around you. The word "pro" doesn't mean "master at everything," it just means "does as a profession" aka "earns money to do." THAT'S IT! This notion that a professional has to know everything is not just absurd, but it's downright flawed. These days, I have absolutely no care about "how much of a master I am." I simply enjoy doing what I do and I get paid to do it. Focus more on learning, improving, contributing to the team, understanding what the team needs and executing, and less on your status. At the end of the day, if you feel you are inferior, then you become inferior. Ever heard of the term "self-fulfilling prophecy?" Read this quote over and over by Michael Jordan: I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. It's completely normal for there to be more experienced and less experienced people in any given field. It's also completely normal for people to learn at different rates. I think that this feeling that is so-called "imposter syndrome" is simply "wanting to be more experienced/skilled." The term is relatively new, but the concept is age-old. There are no real shortcuts in life, you'll get there in due time.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/do-you-have-imposter-syndrome/comment/5e2bdd8232d5fad159b7dde4) Comment · Thread · Jan 25, 2020 · [Do you have imposter syndrome?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/do-you-have-imposter-syndrome) [1.) Become more fluent in writing x86-64 assembly language programs (I can write them, but I want to get "good" at it) 2.) Continue studying and getting proficient with areas in Discrete Mathematics 3.) Be able to write code on Apple devices comfortably at various levels (assembly, OS, application).](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/what-are-your-tech-related-goals-for-2020/comment/5e10d4d4490269cb3022948c) Comment · Thread · Jan 4, 2020 · [What are your tech-related goals for 2020?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/what-are-your-tech-related-goals-for-2020) [Thanks for posting these, Idris Lawal ! It always concerns me a bit how few viewers/likes these posts get, yet we're hearing about massive data breaches every week on the news. What happened?](https://hashnode.com/posts/owasp-10-an-introduction/5e0f77f31a3128c630de6187/comment/5e10d1f71a3128c630de695a) Comment · Article · Jan 4, 2020 · [OWASP 10 - An Introduction](https://hashnode.com/posts/owasp-10-an-introduction/5e0f77f31a3128c630de6187) [I tend to be pretty spot-on. I'm pretty good at giving conservative estimates at this point... Meaning, I factor in time for the unexpected, which almost always inevitably happens. I prefer to overestimate and outperform than to underestimate and underperform.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/how-often-your-task-estimates-end-up-being-accurate/comment/5df202e1acdafdac270d6bce) Comment · Thread · Dec 12, 2019 · [How often your task estimates end up being accurate?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/how-often-your-task-estimates-end-up-being-accurate) [Using emotionally-centered communication to solve logical problems is never a good idea.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/emojis-as-source-code/comment/5de1cd3d60a57302536dd775) Comment · Thread · Nov 30, 2019 · [Emojis as source code](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/emojis-as-source-code) [I would take that "advice" with a grain of salt. Think about this for a second: You met a stranger and told him you use JS, and he told you to use Python instead. Did he know the nature of the app? No. Did he know the reasons you guys chose JS? No. Did he know the platforms the app needed to run on? No. Did he have specific, concrete examples of why Python is more scalable than JS? Doesn't sound like it. Did he provide examples of a time when he tried to use JS for a specific app and then had to switch to Python due to problems with JS? Doesn't sound like it. Yet he told you to change technologies... Do you see how silly this looks? Whether or not I'm pro or against JS, just based off of this alone, I wouldn't listen to this person unless they were able to articulate all of those things. These types of people exist in every environment. I don't think "JS has a bad reputation" as much as there are just people out there who find it fun to try and convince others of why they are right and the other person should be doing what they are. I can think of 10,000 reasons to yell at him about why he should be writing his code in Rust instead of Python... But would I do that without understanding the problem domain, reasonings, history, culture, requirements, and provide specific examples? Absolutely not.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/opinion-why-is-javascript-so-unpopular/comment/5ddeccc9f1234a2f7126338d) Comment · Thread · Nov 27, 2019 · [\[Opinion\] Why is JavaScript so unpopular?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/opinion-why-is-javascript-so-unpopular) [I'd say do some codeacademy and then start coding a few basic programs. I just used a blackjack game someone coded as one of his first Python projects... Something like that would suffice.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/whats-the-best-way-to-get-started-with-python-programming-language/comment/5dde24c094c050e177a6b4e9) Comment · Thread · Nov 27, 2019 · [What's the best way to get started with Python programming language?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/whats-the-best-way-to-get-started-with-python-programming-language) ["Shut up and start coding." The premise is that the simple act of DOING needs hours clocked behind it in order to learn.](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/what-is-the-best-advice-someone-has-given-you-that-has-helped-you-in-your-career/comment/5ddcd396a8390892447a0db9) Comment · Thread · Nov 26, 2019 · [What is the best advice someone has given you that has helped you in your career?](https://hashnode.com/forums/thread/what-is-the-best-advice-someone-has-given-you-that-has-helped-you-in-your-career)