Top 10 Mistakes Developers Commonly Make (and Why They Happen)
Source: Dev.to
Even the best developers make simple mistakes — not because they lack skill, but because they overlook small details under pressure. Here are the top 10 dev mistakes and the real reason behind each.
Top 10 Mistakes
1. Forgetting Active/Inactive Status Updates
Why? Small flags get ignored while focusing on major logic. Later, the UI breaks.
2. Hardcoding Values
Why? “Temporary” fixes become permanent and cause issues in production.
3. Skipping Validation
Why? Developers rush to make the feature work; validation comes last.
4. Ignoring Error Logs
Why? Warnings look harmless — until they explode later.
5. Not Handling Null or Empty Data
Why? Assuming data will always exist (it never does).
6. No Comments in Code
Why? “I’ll remember this later.” No one ever does.
7. Missing Migrations or DB Sync
Why? Local works fine → live breaks. Classic mistake.
8. Poor Folder/Code Structure
Why? Prioritizing speed over maintainability during development.
9. Weak Error Handling (no try/catch)
Why? Developers build for success paths, not failure.
10. Direct Push to Main Branch
Why? “Quick fix” mindset leads to bigger problems.
Developer Reminder
Most dev mistakes aren’t technical—they’re habit‑based. Small improvements in workflow can save you hours of debugging and make you a stronger engineer.