A Developer’s Good Friday

Mar 29

In the spirit of Good Friday and the universal sigh of relief that comes with the end of a typical workweek, let’s dive into what makes a Friday truly “good” for software developers.

This isn’t about long lunches or leaving early (you should be thinking about improving your code at all times), but about the deeper, often unspoken joys that can turn a regular Friday into a “Good” Friday in the tech world.

The Components of a Good Friday (and What is Really Happening to The Secret Developer)

Zero Meetings

The bliss of an empty calendar, leaving room for deep work, coding, or wrapping up the week’s projects without interruptions.

Contrast this with my current employer where the corporate policy of meeting-free Fridays means developers are likely to have meetings because “it’s when we are all free”. It’s really happening.

Asynchronous Communication

Emphasizing tools and practices that allow for updates and collaboration without breaking the flow state — goodbye, real-time slack pings. A great way of avoiding face-to-face meetings.

That isn’t to say there aren’t some times when we should meet. One of my main problems with my 15-minute performance review is that we didn’t meet (or even have a camera on). It’s just unprofessional and a problem when time-consuming communication has been replaced with no communication at all.

Merging without Conflicts

The simple joy of a pull request that integrates smoothly, symbolizing a chunk of effort coming together flawlessly.

Pity that in my current job, we sometimes work on the same files simultaneously.

Automated Testing Passes

All tests green is a developer’s green light for a weekend of peace, knowing they’re not leaving behind a week of potential issues.

I’ve noticed I do sleep much better when everything is done and clear when we go into a night (and even more so at the weekend). Does anyone else feel this?

Code Reviews Done Right

Receiving constructive, timely feedback that feels like collaboration rather than criticism, rounding off the week on a high note.

Pity it’s seldom like this.

Learning Hour

Dedicating time on Friday for personal growth, be it exploring a new tool, reading up on trends, or tinkering with a passion project.

I’m still spending time making trivial pull requests to make it ‘look’ like I’m working on a Friday. I’m not the only one at my current job, but it’s a bad habit.

Early Wins

Knocking out a few quick PRs for that sense of accomplishment, setting the tone for a relaxed day ahead.

Which would work if our CI didn’t take 2 hours and frequently fail.

The Ritual Clean-up

Spending time to tidy the codebase, update documentation, and set clear goals for next week — like a reset button.

Yet if you’re the only one doing this it can feel like a completely thankless task.

Social Check-in

A virtual coffee break or end-of-week team catch-up that’s more about bonding than business.

I have to say I’ve not done this. I sit alone both physically and virtually.

Wind-down Routine

Ending the day with a non-work-related activity that signals the brain it’s time to relax and recharge.

I do seriously think that I’d function better as a programmer with the help of alcohol on any given Friday at work. I’m holding on to 6 at the moment, let’s hope I manage to hold on keeping it this way.

Conclusion

Well, that just about wraps things up this Good Friday. I hope that you aren’t having the experience of The Secret Developer at work and instead can become your best self.

The Secret Developer