Here's 'Winning Eleven,' my own mix of eleven key ideas that have helped me grow both at work and in life. This isn't your usual list of tips. It's more like a collection of real stories and lessons I've learned along the way. These principles come from my own experiences, the good times and the tough ones. Let's take a look at these ideas, each one a piece of my journey and maybe something that can help you too
winning eleven barcelona
Choose Your Manager Wisely
I learned the hard truth early. "If your boss doesn’t like you, nobody will." A manager who cares, who mentors and coaches, can accelerate your growth. The name of the company on your CV will eventually fade. A great boss stays with you the rest of your career.
The best managers I had helped me in three ways: guidance, motivation, and networking. They guided me through complex challenges. They created opportunities to stretch beyond my comfort zone without burning out. Their belief in my abilities often came before my own. A well-connected manager can also open doors that would otherwise stay closed.
Embrace the Challenge
You are never truly ready for the next big step. It might be a new role, leading a team, or handling critical projects. The notion of readiness is a blend of preparation and courage. I recall hesitating to take on high-responsibility roles, doubting my own preparedness. But the truth is, most learning happens on the job, not in the training. You grow into roles, adapting and acquiring skills on the fly.
That realization changed how I handled challenges. Instead of waiting to feel fully prepared, I took opportunities as they came. You do not need to be perfect before you start. You learn by doing the work and correcting yourself along the way.
Money isn’t the Goal
In the initial years of my career, I didn’t choose money. I chose startups. While financial gain matters, it does not make a career fulfilling on its own. I learned a lot from startups. I wrote a lot of hectic code but you know what. It worked. Those years gave me a reputation for getting things done. I still use skills I picked up during that time.
There is a moment in every professional's life when money becomes less important. You feel that you have enough, and earning more will not make a crazy difference. I’m not talking about making millions but reasonably good compensation. At that point, choose the work that will teach you something or open the next door.
Find your Unique Angle
In a field saturated with talent, carving out a unique identity seems impossible. There are millions of developers around the world. Yet, everyone possesses a unique set of skills and perspectives. I believe the key is to identify, nurture, and showcase them. It takes a bit of time to find your unique angle. It’s not a one time event, you keep pushing forward with it.
Creating a personal brand is in general more than just a professional tactic. It requires taking the risk of being ridiculed. I always feel like my posts or work gets laughed at. You know what it doesn’t matter. I’m learning. I’ll get better. Everyone is unique in some way. It's a matter of showing it.
Network with Purpose
Networking isn't just about meeting new people. It's about forming strong relationships with people who inspire you, challenge you, and help you grow. Looking back, I see that I didn't focus enough on making important connections. Now, I understand how valuable this is and I plan to work on it more.
I've been lucky to meet many motivated and talented people at university and in my jobs. They helped me during tough times, gave me new ideas, and opened doors I could not have opened alone. That is why I keep meeting people and staying in touch after the immediate reason has passed.
Grow from your Failures
Failure can be a great learning experience. Each setback, each project that didn't go as planned, was a learning experience. Failure becomes a teacher if you reflect on it and change things. If you are failing for the same reasons, it doesn’t matter how many times you fail. You fail for the wrong reasons.
After a failure, run a retrospective whether it was personal or professional. The point is not to assign blame. It is to understand what went wrong and what you will do differently next time.
Set High Targets
Setting ambitious goals is a big driver for success. I’m now planning a five-year plan to reach a few professionals and personal goals. The plan doesn’t need to be rigid but it can still provide a north star to guide my decisions and efforts. So, what’s stopping you? Take a pen and paper, write what you want. It doesn't matter how big your goals are.
Setting goals is the first step but you still need to make sure you are working towards them. Humans aren’t the best creatures when thinking very long term. So, find things that contribute to your long term goals. Do them weekly.
Keep Learning
There are so many ways to learn. I invested in my education by studying BSc and MSc of computer science. This was one of the best investments I have ever done. I couldn’t have been where I’m now without the education I had.
Formal education might be the first step but how do you learn later? Everyone has a different way of learning but there are tons of ways of doing it. Reading books, watching videos, joining sessions. How do you reserve time? Well, schedule learning hours for yourself weekly. Put it in your calendar and don’t break the rules. Learn at that time. It helped me stay relevant and learn important things about the job. Be it leadership or software development.
Take care of your health
It’s easy to neglect personal health when you feel healthy. It is also easy to lose it, and recovery is hard. You need to find your balance. Do not let work crowd out rest, exercise, and mental health care.
Prioritizing health also means making conscious lifestyle choices, from diet and exercise to stress management and work-life balance. I’m still learning and adapting to those. Staying healthy is about making one positive step at a time and building a habit of eating healthy and doing exercises.
Help Others to Help Yourself
Helping others pays off in the long run. As it goes in The Godfather, "Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service". You help someone not expecting an immediate return, but a good turn tends to find its way back to you. Give your time, knowledge, and resources to people. People remember.
This isn't only altruism, it's strategy. It builds a network of people likely to support you when you need it. Instead of competing, look for ways to lift others. It's rarely a zero sum game.
Find the right Partner
Finding the right partners, both in your professional and personal life, is hard but very rewarding. The best partners are those who uplift you and inspire you to achieve great things. They are the ones in your corner. They cheer you up and push you towards success. On the other hand, if you're with someone who isn't growing themselves, chances are they won't be much help in your growth journey either.
Finding the right partner doesn't come with a set of instructions, but it's important to trust your gut feeling. If something feels wrong, it's usually best to listen to that feeling. People often hope for things to get better or think that bad signs might change, but if something seems off from the beginning, it's probably not right. Trusting your instincts can help you avoid problems and lead you to people who really help you grow.
None of these eleven are original, and I still break most of them regularly. This list is a pep talk for me as much as it's advice for you. The ones I keep relearning are the boss, the health, and the partner. Everything else has been easier to fix than those three.