I Don’t Know Everything — And That’s My Superpower

“The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.” - Patrick Star

Sometimes, I feel like I don’t know anything. Like I’m trying to wrap my head around GraalVM native images in Quarkus, and I’m just nodding, hoping no one asks me to explain how to optimize build times.

Look, let’s be real – the world of Java development is insane. There are always new frameworks and technologies to learn, and now with things like serverless and native image compilation, it’s getting even more complicated.

And honestly? That used to freak me out. I thought I was supposed to have all the answers. But then I realized something: not knowing is actually the biggest opportunity we have as developers.

The KubeCon Revelation

And then, I went to KubeCon.

My first international conference — and a total game-changer.
I walked into that place, and it was like stepping into a different dimension.
Thousands of people buzzing with energy, talking about things I barely understood.
There were talks about SPIFFE, WASM, service meshes, and cloud tech that might as well have been alien languages.
The people knew it all!

Sitting there, surrounded by all these seemingly brilliant people, I felt… small. Maybe a little intimidated. But mostly, I felt *motivated*. I realized that this industry is so incredibly vast, so constantly evolving, that *nobody* can know everything. And that’s not a bug; it’s a feature! It made me realize that becoming a true coding master was actually achievable, and that fueled my desire to learn and grow.

The Superpower of Lifelong Learning

Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: we literally get paid to learn.

To explore new technologies.
To experiment with different approaches.
To break things, fix them, and get better in the process.
That’s insane!

Think about it – people rack up massive student debt just to get access to learning.
Meanwhile, we’re getting paid to constantly expand our skills and stay curious.
So what’s our excuse for not taking advantage of that?

Every task, bug fix, code review — every confusing moment — is a chance to level up.
As a junior/mid-level dev, I’m constantly learning from senior colleagues, online tutorials, and just banging my head against the keyboard until something clicks.

Once, I spent two hours debugging what I thought was a complicated issue…
Turned out, I was missing an equals in a SQL statement.
I was embarrassed at first — now it’s just a reminder that every mistake is a lesson waiting to happen.

The myth of the all-knowing senior developer?
It’s just that — a myth.
The best devs I know are the ones who can say, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”

Navigating the Labyrinth of Software Architecture

And speaking of learning, let's talk about software architecture. Microservices vs monoliths? Event-driven vs REST? DevEx platforms, GitOps, cloud-native design? It's a never-ending buffet of buzzwords and best practices, and it can be incredibly overwhelming.

I’m just starting to scratch the surface of these concepts, and honestly, sometimes it still feels like I’m making educated guesses. I read blog posts, I watch conference talks, I try to apply what I learn to my own projects, but it’s still a work in progress.

But that’s okay! Because software architecture isn’t a final boss you defeat. It’s a constant series of tradeoffs. It’s like trying to navigate a maze while everyone around you is shouting different directions. I’m still learning how to even hear all the voices, let alone choose the right path – and that’s perfectly okay.

Curiosity and Humility: The Essential Skills

So, if you’re not supposed to know everything, what are you supposed to bring to the table? I think it all comes down to two key skills: curiosity and humility.

Curiosity is the engine that drives our learning. It’s the desire to understand how things work, to explore new possibilities, and to never stop asking “why?” Humility is the awareness that you don’t have all the answers and that you can always learn something from others. It’s the willingness to admit when you’re wrong and to ask for help when you need it.

I’ve found that the best way to learn is to ask “stupid” questions. Questions that seem obvious or basic, but that often reveal hidden assumptions and misunderstandings. And I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with colleagues who are always willing to answer my questions, no matter how silly they might seem. There is always more to learn if the first step it to just aks!

There also moments where it is ok to be like: I did it. So there also great when it comes to team building and showing gratitude is so important!

Own Your “I Don’t Know”

So no, I don’t know everything. And honestly, I hope I never do. Because the moment I stop learning, I stop growing. The exciting part? The best part is, I’m confident that everything I learn today will be valuable tomorrow. It’s that constant anticipation of future knowledge that keeps me going, and if I can help someone else along the way, that’s even better.

This isn’t just a job, it’s a constant education. And as developers, learning is part of our DNA! The cool part, and I can never emphasize this enough is seeing people actually use something or being inspired by your journey! Its like: wow, they are also joining I NEED TO BE BETTER!

So bring on the new frameworks, the complex architectures, the mind-bending cloud concepts – I’m ready to learn. And I’m fc*king loving it, knowing full well that I’ll be back to square one, scratching my head and Googling frantically, in a few days. It’s the circle of dev life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.