In the next few weeks, I’ll explore with you how to choose a developer path: from technical deep dives to people leadership, and everything in between. Whether you’re at a fork in the road or just getting curious, this series is for you. Week 1 will be about exploring (experimentation, choosing a growth theme), Week 2 we'll focus on becoming visible and taking initiative, while the final week is about claiming growth (or moving away) and choosing your own path. Join me on this journey!
“I want to grow, but I don’t know what my next step is.”
Sound familiar?
So many developers stay stuck in neutral, waiting:
- For their manager to notice
- For a formal opportunity
- For the “right” timing
- For confidence to magically appear
But:
You don’t need permission to grow. You need initiative.
My First Step? A Tiny One
I wasn’t handed leadership. No one invited me to “own” anything.
But I saw small gaps:
- The onboarding docs were outdated so I rewrote them.
- Our Jira tickets were not consistent so created a template (and an AI bot, but let's not talk about that).
- The wishlist feature needed to be built so I became Mr. Wishlist.
- TODOS were added to PRs without any follow-up so I changed the PR template.
Growth Looks Like Initiative
You don’t have to overhaul the whole team. Try something small that adds value.
Ideas:
- Review the dev experience and propose one improvement
- Start a “learning committee” on accessibility or testing
- Run a 15-minute demo on something you learned
- Create a better template for pull requests
These don’t need permission: they need courage.
What Happens When You Do This
- You learn fast
- You build confidence
- You become visible in a good way
- You start leading, even unofficially
You’ll be surprised how often people say, “Oh wow, this really helped, thanks!”
And if they don’t? You still grow.
Final Thought
Don’t wait to be picked: pick yourself, start with small things you can manage, that builds trust, which shows value.
That’s how momentum (and leadership) begins!
💬 What’s one small initiative you’ve taken or want to try?
In case you want more guidance: I'm now offering free 30-minute coaching calls for developers who want to grow (whether you're junior, medior, or senior). In this call, we’ll talk about your current situation, challenges you're facing, and where you want to go next. You'll receive tailored advice specific to your goals and concrete next steps. No catch. Just me, helping you grow.
👉 Book your free call here: https://calendly.com/tim-lorent/free-30-minute-growth-call-for-developers
Speaking of free guidance: download my Free Developer Growth Kit — 3 Practical Guides to Grow from Coder to Leader. It gives you practical tools to level up your skills, mindset, and workflow, without burning out or guessing your next step.
Or if you’re ready to take the next step: check out my book From Hello World to Team Lead or the developer platform for career growth Campfires.dev. 20% of all revenue from the book and coaching will be donated to tech charities like TechMeUp, SheSharp, GirlCode, HackYourFuture.