Top 10 Things You Should Stop Doing as a Programmer

1. Stop over-optimizing too early.
Don’t design for a million users when you don’t even have ten.

2. Stop copying patterns you don’t understand.
Tools and frameworks aren’t gospel—use them with intention.

3. Stop being afraid to refactor.
“Working” code isn’t the same as “good” code.

4. Stop designing for features you might add someday.
Future-proofing becomes a burden when it replaces reality.

5. Stop letting frameworks dictate your entire architecture.
Use the framework—don’t let it control every decision.

6. Stop treating complexity like a badge of honor.
Simple code is not amateur. Over-engineering cages you in.

7. Stop stacking hacks without cleaning them up.
Technical debt compounds faster than you think.

8. Stop ignoring the fundamentals.
Understanding the basics keeps you out of dead ends.

9. Stop building ecosystems instead of finishing the product.
Finish something before you start expanding sideways.

10. Stop being afraid to start over.
Sometimes the cleanest fix is deleting the old version and rebuilding it.