Recipe for a great programmer

Ingredients

• Books for a computer science curriculum from a top university
• Computer
• Headphones
• Internet
• Stress ball
• Pillow
• Lighter fluid
• Food

Directions

0. Cover computer science books with lighter fluid
1. Light books on fire
2. Use flames to cook an energy-rich meal for the thousands of hours ahead
3. Pick an editor
4. Choose a project beyond current capabilities. Good ways to push boundaries:
   • Unfamiliar domain (e.g. large scale data processing, UI programming, high performance computing, games)
   • Exotic programming language
   • Larger in scope than any project before
5. Shut up about your editor
6. Attempt to build
7. Stop procrastinating on Hacker News
8. Re-attempt to build
9. Squeeze stress ball and scream into pillow as necessary to keep sanity
10. When stuck:
    • Paste stack traces into Google
    • Find appropriate mailing list to get guidance
    • Realize that real learning happens when you are stuck, uncomfortable, and/or frustrated
    • Seek out books, classes, or other resources AFTER you have a good understanding of your deficiencies
11. Repeat #4 to #10 for at least 10 years

Results guaranteed! (to the same extent static types guarantee bug-free programs)