At Level 1, you're writing code that works—and that’s a great start. Your focus is on making things function, often leaning on examples or patterns you’ve seen before. You may not yet know what "good" code looks like, but you’re starting to build that awareness. At this level, it’s normal to prioritize getting something working over making it clean. The key is developing habits that help you improve consistency, readability, and structure with each pull request.
Key Behaviors
- Writes functional code that accomplishes its purpose
- Follows team conventions when reminded or reviewed
- May rely heavily on copy-paste from similar examples
- Uses meaningful variable names inconsistently
- Starts to understand formatting and basic readability
Common Struggles
- Code may be hard to read, duplicate, or extend
- Lacks consistent formatting or structure
- Misses opportunities for reuse or clarity
- May not recognize performance or security implications
- Can be unsure what "clean code" means in context
Success Indicators
You know you're successful when you:
- Write code that works and passes basic review
- Make use of existing examples or conventions
- Show curiosity about how to improve your style and structure
- Respond to feedback and improve code accordingly
Mindset Shift
From:
Does it work?
To:
Will someone else understand and maintain this?
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Would this make sense to someone seeing it for the first time?
- Is there a simpler, cleaner way to write this?
- Am I following team standards or just doing what worked before?
Build These Habits
- 1Use the linter and formatter consistently
- 2Read PRs from others to see different approaches
- 3Rename things when they're unclear
- 4Ask questions when a review suggests a new pattern
Seek Feedback
- Is there a cleaner or more idiomatic way to write this?
- What would make this easier to read or change later?
- Are there team patterns I should be following here?
Signals You're Ready to Level Up
- Fewer formatting or naming issues in code reviews
- More awareness of maintainability in your pull requests
- Curiosity about structure, reuse, and idioms
Focus Summary
- Make it work
- Make it better
- Keep learning what "better" looks like
At Level 1, writing working code is the priority—and that’s a solid foundation. As you build confidence, you start to notice how code quality makes everything smoother.