Being a Successful Developer Is Not Enough – You Must Understand the Business Side Too
Most of us spend years writing code, improving technical skills, switching frameworks, and making architecture decisions.
But there’s one thing many developers overlook or fail to value enough: business thinking.
Throughout my career — in both corporate projects and startups I’ve built — I’ve seen this repeatedly:
A technically perfect product that creates no business value is just a pile of code.
What are you missing if you don’t understand business as a developer?
- You don’t understand who the product is for
- You can’t prioritize effectively (you delay what matters most)
- Your communication and collaboration skills may suffer
- You drift away from product-oriented thinking
What does global experience show?
At major companies like Google, Meta, and Shopify, developers are no longer expected to just write code.
They’re expected to think as part of the product team: analyze user problems, deliver value, and align tech decisions with business goals.
What should you do in practice?
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Understand the problem before coding
Always ask yourself: “Why is this feature being built?” -
Think about the user
Everything you build will be used by someone. What is that person’s pain point? -
Embrace Minimum Viable Product (MVP) mindset
How can you deliver maximum value with the least amount of code? -
Learn business terms
Not knowing concepts like CAC, LTV, churn, and conversion rate is a disadvantage for any developer today. -
Think like an entrepreneur
You’re not just a coder. You’re building a system. That system must create value.
Final words
Technical knowledge alone is no longer enough.
If you want to become an impactful and truly successful developer — don’t just write code. Create value.
This mindset will transform your role within any team and dramatically increase your chances of success in any product you build.
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