In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this post, I’ll be discussing my thoughts primarily on Chapter 1 of Apprenticeship Patterns, a book I had to read parts of for another class. I really like the idea of being a “Software Apprentice,” as I think it is a good representation of the attitude I have adopted over the years. I’ve always viewed myself as someone who is constantly learning and evolving in this field, and the apprenticeship model seems to align perfectly with that. It’s not about arriving at some endpoint but about growing, making mistakes, and improving.

What stood out to me the most was the idea of viewing the development process as a journey, not a destination. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of “Software Craftsmanship” as more than just technical skill, but also as a mindset of continuous learning. This was particularly thought-provoking because I think there’s a tendency, especially early in our careers, to think of coding as a task to be completed or a skill to be mastered and then moved beyond while in pursuit of some computer science career. However, the idea that becoming a Software Craftsman is an ongoing process—a commitment to constant improvement and a mindset that thrives on learning—is something that I think is a better description. It shifted my perspective on what it means to be good at coding- it’s not enough to know how to do something today, it’s about always finding a way to improve your code in the future.

In the past, specifically in my career, I’ve often gotten caught up in the day-to-day rush of just getting whatever piece of code done. I’ve rushed to get things coded, with the focus being on completing projects rather than developing deeper expertise or refining my approach to coding. After reading this chapter, I think I’m more likely to focus on the long-term value of writing quality code and the importance of standards. It’s not just about writing code that works; it’s about writing code that lasts, is readable, and contributes to a more sustainable project. I’m going to start to approach my coding tasks with a deeper goal, rather than rushing through them for the sake of completion.

I think this is particularly applicable to Software Quality Assurance and Testing because QA is, in essence, a form of ensuring that our code is always improving. Not only do we need to find a balance between constantly improving before release and actually releasing, but even after releases, we still need to be looking for future requirements and improvements. There is no end in sight for software testing, ever. I think this constant forward motion, driven by constantly increasing requirements, is inseparable from the idea of being a software apprentice.

From the blog Mr. Lancer 987's Blog by Mr. Lancer 987 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.