What’s a Skill You Learned Too Late That Would Have Changed Your Tech Career?

Looking back, one non-obvious skill I wish I’d learned much earlier is how to think and communicate in terms of impact, not just implementation. Early in my tech journey, I focused heavily on writing clean code, learning frameworks, and solving technical problems correctly. What I discovered later is that why you’re building something and how you explain that value to others often matters as much as how you build it. When I finally started framing my work around user outcomes, trade-offs, and business impact, everything changed. My contributions were taken more seriously, collaboration became easier, and my career growth accelerated because I was no longer just “executing tasks” but influencing decisions. It also shifted my mindset from perfectionism to pragmatism shipping the right solution instead of the most elegant one. My advice to anyone starting out now: don’t wait to develop this skill. Practice explaining your work in simple terms, ask why before diving into how, and learn to see the bigger picture around the code. Strong technical skills get you in the door, but impact-driven thinking is what helps you grow and stand out.