🔗 Soft skill books that will make you a better developer

As developers, we’re always striving to upskill technically, but we can’t forget about those critical soft skills too. After reading 40 or so of these kinds of books, I wanted to share some top takeaways that we can apply to level up as programmers and managers. You can also browse the full list of my book recommendations.

If you’re looking for a quick tl;dr of learnings:

• Master the art of deep focus. Schedule uninterrupted blocks for key work and reduce distractions.
• Optimize for high-leverage activities. Prioritize the 20% of work that drives 80% of outcomes vs. reacting to every notification.
• Cultivate a growth mindset. View challenges as learning opportunities, not failures. Embrace constructive criticism and feedback.
• Continuously iterate and validate assumptions. Rapidly build MVPs, get user feedback, measure data. Pivot early.
• Proactively level up leadership skills. Coach teammates, set clear goals, foster psychological safety and authentic communication.

These books aren’t specifically about code or systems design, but the insights on leadership, productivity, team dynamics and more are highly relevant to our world. I’ve compiled my favorite bits that have helped me become a better eng leader and I think they could help you too. Some light reading for the weekends perhaps! Let’s dive in.