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Comment on Ask HN: Are authors of “how to be great developer” blogs great developers?

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Being able to synthesize information, and write, is a talent that is completely different from being a developer.

The world is full of examples of fantastic developers that cannot show others what to do.

I have been a coach, but not an elite Olympic athlete.

Look at all the great sports coaches - they were not Superbowl or World Series winners.

I've always hated the saying, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." Teaching is a skill. Great teachers have great teaching skills. We've all had crap teachers, we've all had great teachers.

If I read 500 books about developers, and talk to 500 great developers, and I have enough knowledge about development, and can then put together an enjoyable read that imparts great knowledge that is correct, even if I can't develop myself, that's fine, if the information is actually correct.

To your point of working 20 years as a developer: I was in a sport a long time and pretty much sucked at it, trust me, so many people were way better. I was better than 99.9% of the general population, but of those elite in the sport....no. But I REALLY enjoyed being a coach, it was great. And, the people that I taught got perfectly good information from me.

But, it wasn't like I was Vince Lombardi or Bill Belichick. Nobody knows me from my coaching, except those that I coached. But, if you are getting paid, why does it matter? Good enough is good enough.

I think you are worrying about things too much. What I know about you is that you are better than 99.999999% of the world's population at what you do. If you are not part of the elite .0001%, oh well, nobody is, except that .0001%. Not even worth bothering yourself about.

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