Nobody is perfect. Even when we do our best to deliver quality work, we still encounter awkward errors and unexpected omissions. Many reasons could (and usually do) explain this. Let’s look at a list of some crunches and how to prevent disaster.

1. Not updating data protection

A very sensitive subject here. In recent years, data security and privacy have been of vital importance to everyone, including software developers. ‍

According to a survey conducted by JetBrain, 91% of developers are concerned about how their data is collected and used, and 49% take steps to ensure it remains private. ‍

‍ If you don’t have a safety engineer working with you, you need to put safety first. And the most common mistake developers make is not updating their security stack. ‍

Cybercriminals improve their strategies every day to hijack or destroy your data. Therefore, regularly test your vulnerabilities and see if there is anything you can cost-effectively do to better protect your data.

2. Start coding without planning

Sometimes developers are so eager to get started on a project that they forget the basics. ‍

Take your time to design your project step by step. Define your goals, think through your implementation, plan each step, and use a project management tool to estimate your project timeline. You will go to great lengths to avoid mistakes and deal with unexpected events.

3. Bad time estimates for development.

It may not take into account all aspects of your assignments and only provide estimates based on your development. ‍

‍Well, coding isn’t just coding. ‍

Time for meetings, testing, and analysis can be added to your development process. Break your work down into milestones and estimate your work in days, not hours, if possible. And don’t forget to add a little buffer — it could come in really handy in case of an unexpected surprise, and if you don’t use it, you’ll be the star of the show by delivering sooner!

4. Lack of knowledge about the business

This is especially true for freelancers who accept assignments from different industries. Sometimes they don’t take the time to research general information about the company they work with and the business challenges in the industry.

Take the time to learn about the business environment and don’t forget to ask your client what their goals are. This will help you provide software in line with the market.

5. Ignoring the documentation

We know the documentation isn’t always up to date, but if it is, don’t bother reading it!

We see so many developers running projects without reading the documentation. This can lead to errors and a significant waste of time…

Also consider your colleagues who wrote the documentation. Nobody likes to do that. But if someone has made the effort to do so (and sometimes even succeeded!), share some love and appreciation ;)

6. Looking for help

However, if you really feel stuck, don’t hesitate to scream for help. Your ego might have a little bruise, but don’t worry, it heals pretty quickly! If you don’t have a boss or co-workers, the developer community is very supportive and you’ll always find someone nice and willing to help you.

Here we are. These errors happen regularly, don’t they? And we’re pretty sure you all know them and try to avoid them. But we’re only human, after all, so it might be helpful to keep them in mind. Just follow the best practices in your areas of software development and you’re good to go, at least you minimize the risk of making a critical mistake!