Why Practice Matters
- When performance matters, professionals practice—they don’t just rely on experience.
- The work itself hasn’t changed much over the years, but how we work has changed dramatically.
- Doing anything quickly and effectively requires deliberate practice.
- Second nature skills (like an athlete’s reflexes in combat) develop through repetition and training.
The Coding Dojo
Kata
- A Kata is a predefined, choreographed sequence of movements used to train for combat.
- In programming, Kata exercises help train the mind and body to solve problems efficiently.
- The goal is not to solve a problem but to master the process and decision-making involved.
- The author gives us a link with many kata recorded**:** Kata examples
Wasa
- A Wasa is like a two-person Kata, where partners memorize and repeat specific techniques.
- In programming, this can be practiced through Ping-Pong Pair Programming:
- One programmer writes a unit test.
- The other makes it pass.
- Then, they switch.
3. Randori
- A group-based Wasa with a competitive twist.
- How it works:
- One person writes a test.
- The next person makes it pass, then writes a new test.
- The cycle continues.
This practice encourages collaboration and adaptability.
Broadening Your Experience
- Practicing alone isn’t enough—you need diverse experiences to grow.
- Avoid narrowing your skills by only working within a limited tech stack.
- How to expand your experience:
- Contribute to open-source projects or do pro-bono work.
- Try different programming languages and paradigms.
- Experiment with new tools and technologies.
Professionals don’t just code—they train, refine, and practice to deliver their best work. Whether through Kata, Wasa, or Randori, structured practice helps developers build efficiency, confidence, and adaptability. A great developer never stops learning.