Weekend Reading: Two Reports
I spent part of the weekend reading two reports: the 2019–2020 China Developer Survey and InfoQ’s 2020 China Technology Development White Paper. A few quick notes for myself.
Lifelong learning
One data point stunned me: nearly 60% of developers study more than six hours each week. I’ve followed this survey since around 2015, and I don’t remember seeing that metric before. It’s sobering. Companies can always hire a motivated newcomer who’s sharp and cheaper—why keep the jaded veteran who’s stopped growing? The world keeps specializing; to avoid obsolescence (and to stay in control of our own careers), continuous learning is the only option.
Six hours is a lot when you consider how many teams still grind through 996/997 schedules. Yet many developers still carve out time. If we’re the ones who don’t, we’ll fall behind.
Open source contributions
The survey also shows how weak domestic open-source contributions remain. Aside from a few leaders—Alibaba, Huawei—there isn’t much. I’ve written code for many years and still contribute far too little. I need to fix that. Open source is the backbone of our industry. It’s a chance to learn from top engineers, sharpen skills, and give back. Everyone wins.
T-shaped skills
Those reports mention countless technologies—blockchain, deep learning—that I only vaguely recognize. It’s a sign I’ve been too narrow lately. I used to check GitHub Trends regularly and tinker with new stacks. That curiosity matters, even if I’m focused on application-layer work. Breadth informs architectural choices and helps pick the right tool for the job. The goal is to be T-shaped: deep in one area, competent across many.
Globalization
Another theme: globalization. Countries compete, individuals compete. In the past we measured ourselves against colleagues or friends; digital connectivity removed those boundaries. Now we’re competing with everyone, everywhere. That’s both exciting and stressful.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not moving forward, you’re sliding backward. Today’s pace doesn’t leave room to coast. The competition is intense, but there’s joy in staying sharp—embrace it.
