What does it mean to be a successful coder?

Being a successful coder is when you realize that the code is just a tool to execute an objective.

i realized that the people using my product do not care a damn if it’s written in MSDOS batch files. They only care that It solves their problem.

So all the fancy Erlang, Rails, JavaScript and SQL really does not matter. They are just tools in service of the user.

So being a great programmer is first of all understanding the problems that the user has and finding the right mix of language, database, client, and server to solve that problem in the most efficient manner possible.

Secondly you should be up to speed on the latest technologies peripheral to your domain. This is only so you can find the right tool at the right time quickly.

Lastly, when you can reach for the right “tool” from your basket to solve the problem in s short time - only then can you be considered a great “developer”

Coders are a dime a dozen - good developers are rare. Good luck!