Hi there,

I just posted a new video, and it gets a bit personal. After four years of running ArjanCodes, I learned a tough lesson in 2024: trying to do too much leads to burnout, stress, and lower quality work.

So I hit the brakes. Scaled back. Simplified. And guess what? The videos got better. I feel more focused. The team is happier.

Now, heading into 2025, I’m embracing the Keep Things Stupidly Simple principle—both in software design and life.

Watch this week’s video, if you want to hear about my mistakes, my plans, and a cool (secret 🤫) project for companies coming soon!

Cheers,

Arjan

# News

Curious About How the CIA Writes Python? 🕵️‍♀️

I recently came across a fascinating article by Compiler Alchemy, and I knew I had to share it with you!

It’s a deep dive into the CIA’s coding practices—think clean, maintainable code, security-first principles, and strategies for handling large-scale projects. Basically, they’re serious about quality (and probably type annotations too).

If you’re into professional coding standards and real-world use cases—even in high-stakes environments—this one’s worth your time. 📖 Check it out here.

Iterators and Iterables in Python

Real Python recently shared a handy guide on Python’s iteration protocols! 🧑‍💻 They break down the difference between iterators and iterables, reveal how yield makes generator functions a game-changer for cleaner iteration, and even explore asynchronous iteration with .__aiter__() and .__anext__() for handling async workflows.

Mastering these concepts helps you write efficient, elegant, and maintainable Python code—say goodbye to clunky loops and confusing for statements!

Ready to take your Python expertise up a notch? 🚀 Click here to read more.

# Community

Recently, our community has been diving into a fascinating programming challenge: create 100 unique magic squares where no two can be linearly mapped! 🧙‍♂️🔢

This challenge has sparked a deep dive into mathematical properties and some creative coding solutions. Participants have been exploring matrix transformations and even sharing code snippets along the way! 💡

🔥 The puzzle is still open! Think you can crack it? Click here to explore the full thread!

Do you enjoy my content on YouTube and would you like to dive in deeper? Check out my online courses below. They've helped thousands of developers take the next step in their careers.

🚀 The Mindset Online Course Series

The goal of this series is to help junior developers grow their skills to become senior developers faster.

The Software Designer Mindset - Solve complex software problems and write beautiful code.
The Software Architect Mindset - Learn the mindset that will allow you to effortlessly build and maintain scalable software systems. Become a software architect.

💥 Other Courses

Next Level Python: Become a Python Expert - Expand your knowledge of Python and take your coding skills to the next level, without breaking the bank.
The 30-Day Design Challenge - Get the practice you're missing. Learn to deal with a wide variety of software design problems.

💡 If you’re part of a development team at a company, I offer special packages for companies that give your team the tools to consistently write high-quality code and dramatically increase your team's productivity.

Watch this week's video