Self-taught front-end developers often lack a formal computer science background, relying instead on hands-on experience and various resources. The author shares key programming principles that have significantly influenced their coding practices over 20 years. Rather than complex theories, they emphasize practical rules of thumb for writing better code. Important concepts include avoiding "premature optimization," which warns against optimizing code before it’s necessary, and the "You Aren't Gonna Need It" (YAGNI) principle, which advises against writing code for anticipated future needs that may never arise. The "rule of three" emerges as a practical guideline. It suggests that developers should only refactor or optimize code after writing it three times. The first implementation should focus solely on functionality, and the second can involve simple duplication with minor adjustments. Only after a third instance should one generalize the code. This approach helps avoid over-engineering and ensures that the code is genuinely needed before complicating it. Prioritizing readability over initial optimization is also crucial. The author highlights that developers spend more time reading and reasoning about code than writing it. A codebase that is easy to understand allows for faster development. To balance functionality and performance, the principle of "Make it work, make it right, make it fast" is recommended. This principle helps developers focus on getting the code to function correctly first, then ensuring its accuracy, and finally optimizing for speed. Both the rule of three and this prioritization framework keep developers grounded in the immediate task at hand, minimizing distractions from future complexities.