When I joined Atomic Object’s Accelerator Program, I expected to learn a lot about writing better code. I did, but what surprised me most was how much of my growth came from my relationships, not just technical skills. After six months in the program, these are the six lessons that have had the biggest impact on how I work, learn, and show up as a developer.
1. Social connections matter.
Building relationships at work isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s foundational to learning and doing good work. Getting to know people outside of the immediate context of a task made it easier to ask questions, give and receive feedback, and collaborate more effectively. When you feel comfortable with the people around you, you’re more willing to be honest about what you don’t know and more open to learning from others. Those social connections made Atomic feel less intimidating and more like a place where I belonged.
2. Pairing is incredibly important.
Pairing has been one of the most impactful parts of my learning experience. Working closely with another developer exposes you to different ways of thinking, problem-solving, and communicating. It also creates space for learning in real time—asking “why” in the moment or seeing how someone approaches a tricky problem is far more valuable than simply seeing their solution later. Pairing helped me grow faster than I could have on my own and reinforced that great software is built collaboratively.
3. Being in person has real benefits.
While remote work has its advantages, being in person during the Accelerator Program made a noticeable difference for me. Casual conversations, spontaneous questions, and whiteboard discussions all happened more naturally. It was easier to build trust and feel connected to the people I was learning from. Those small, informal interactions added up and made learning feel more approachable and less isolating.
4. Learning from as many people as possible is incredibly valuable.
One of the best things about the Accelerator Program is exposure to so many different people and perspectives. Every developer has their own strengths, habits, and approaches, and learning from a variety of people helped me see that there isn’t one “right” way to do things. Instead of trying to copy a single person, I was able to take bits and pieces from many people and start forming my own style. That variety made my learning broader and more resilient.
5. The books we read together really matter.
The books we read in the Accelerator “book club” are not just theoretical; they provide insight into how Atomic Object thinks about programming, communication, and collaboration. Reading and discussing them together created shared language and context that carried over into daily work. Those conversations helped me better understand the company’s values and gave me practical tools for working more effectively with others, and how to write better code. A couple of the books I’ve enjoyed so far are Crucial Conversations and Domain Driven Design.
6. You have to ask A LOT of questions.
One of the most important lessons I learned is that no one expects you to know everything, especially in the Accelerator Program. What is expected is curiosity and a willingness to ask questions. Early on, it was easy to feel like I should already understand certain things, but I quickly learned that asking questions is fundamental to advancing as a developer. The more I asked, the faster I grew.