How Helping Others on StackOverflow Made Me a Better Developer

Back in 2017, I asked my very first question on StackOverflow. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, just a trivial SQL doubt I had while working on a small project. At the time, I was diving deep into PHP and SQL, learning as much as I could. I was building software for one of the energy distribution companies in my country, a system that, surprisingly, is still in use today, even though I left the company over six years ago by personal choice.

That first question, I received a few answers, but nothing relevant. Same with the next few I asked. It was a bit discouraging at first, but it forced me to push forward on my own. I had to research, test things out, fail, try again, and figure things out myself.

Eventually, I had a thought:
"What if I start helping others with what I’ve learned?"

So I did.

While working at my full-time job, I set up an extra screen just to keep StackOverflow open. I watched the feed like a hawk, ready to answer any new question that popped up if I had the knowledge. And if I didn’t? I’d go learn it, test it, and come back with a well-thought-out response.

This approach did two things:

It helped others solve real problems. It helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect.

I read a lot more back then. I experimented constantly. I was in a state of continuous learning, and answering questions became a kind of daily challenge. It pushed me beyond my comfort zone, and I genuinely believe it made me a better developer.

Over time, this consistent effort translated into something tangible: reputation.
Today, I’ve earned 2.8k reputation points on StackOverflow—not by chasing points, but by sharing what I know, and learning even more in the process.

The truth is, helping others helps you grow.

If you're stuck, start answering questions. Teach someone something. Research to solve their problem. You’ll be surprised how much it teaches you in return.