What Are the Core Values of the Every Programmer Should Know Project?

The Every Programmer Should Know project is guided by four explicit core values defined in CONTRIBUTING.md: "Less is more," "Widely applicable knowledge/skills," "Do not add to stress/hype level," and "Technology is always about human beings."

The mtdvio/every-programmer-should-know repository maintains a curated collection of resources that every software developer should read to improve their craft. Unlike massive link dumps, this project prioritizes quality over quantity through a strict philosophical framework. These core values, explicitly documented in the repository's contribution guidelines, ensure that every book, article, and video added to the main README.md serves a timeless, human-centric purpose.

The Four Core Values Defined in CONTRIBUTING.md

The project's philosophy is codified in four specific principles that govern all curation decisions. Each value addresses a different dimension of what makes technical education valuable and sustainable.

Less Is More! :muscle:

This value emphasizes simplicity and essentiality above all else. The maintainers explicitly reject the "more is better" approach common in resource lists. Instead of aggregating every available link, the project prefers a smaller collection of high-quality resources that provide genuine insight. This principle ensures the README.md remains navigable and that every entry earns its place through exceptional utility rather than mere existence.

Widely Applicable Knowledge/Skills

The second core value prioritizes resources that are strategically valuable and remain relevant despite the ever-changing tech landscape. This explains the repository's heavy emphasis on philosophical texts, soft-skill development, and fundamental computer science concepts over framework-specific tutorials. By focusing on timeless principles rather than transient technologies, the list ensures that knowledge gained today remains applicable five or ten years into a developer's career.

Do Not Add to Stress/Hype Level :zap:

This value explicitly forbids resources that contribute to noise, hype, or unnecessary stress. The guidelines reject endless streams of newsletters, forums, or blogs that create pressure to "keep up" with every minor development in the industry. Curators aim to keep the list helpful and calming rather than overwhelming. This anti-hype stance protects developers from burnout-inducing information overload while maintaining focus on what truly matters for professional growth.

Technology Is Always About Human Beings :man: :woman: :baby:

The final core value reminds contributors that coding exists to solve real problems for people. This human-centric philosophy justifies the inclusion of "soft-skill" resources—communication guides, empathy training, and team dynamics literature—as essential rather than optional. The value asserts that technical excellence without human understanding fails to deliver meaningful software, making interpersonal skills as critical to the list as algorithms or design patterns.

How the Core Values Shape the Curated List

These four principles directly determine what appears in the repository's main README.md. When maintainers evaluate potential additions, they filter every suggestion through these values to ensure alignment with the project's mission.

The result is a curated, high-impact, low-noise collection that emphasizes timeless wisdom over trending topics. For example, you will find books like "Clean Code" and "The Pragmatic Programmer" featured prominently because they satisfy all four values: they are concise classics, widely applicable, hype-free, and focused on the human craft of programming.

Conversely, you will not find links to the latest JavaScript framework documentation or weekly newsletter aggregators, as these violate the "Widely applicable" and "No stress/hype" values respectively.

Contributing While Respecting the Core Values

When submitting a Pull Request to mtdvio/every-programmer-should-know, contributors should explicitly demonstrate how their addition aligns with the four core values. The following example shows a properly formatted contribution that respects the project's philosophy:

# Pull Request Title

Add “Clean Code” – a timeless book on writing maintainable software

## Description

- **Less is more!** – The book is concise and focuses on essential coding principles.
- **Widely applicable knowledge/skills** – Concepts apply to any language or project.
- **No stress/hype** – The book is a well‑established classic, not a hype‑driven trend.
- **Human‑centric** – Emphasises readability and collaboration, making developers better teammates.

## Resource entry (to be added to README.md)

- 📖 **Clean Code** – Robert C. Martin  
  *Why?* Teaches principles that improve code quality and developer happiness.  
  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3735293-clean-code

This format maps each bullet point directly to the core values defined in CONTRIBUTING.md, making it easy for maintainers to verify alignment with the project's philosophy.

Summary

• The Every Programmer Should Know project maintains four explicit core values in CONTRIBUTING.md that govern all curation decisions.
• "Less is more" ensures quality over quantity, keeping the resource list concise and essential.
• "Widely applicable knowledge" prioritizes timeless skills and soft skills over transient technologies.
• "No stress/hype" protects developers from information overload and burnout-inducing content.
• "Technology is about human beings" validates soft skills and empathy as essential programming competencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the core values of the Every Programmer Should Know project documented?

The core values are explicitly defined in the CONTRIBUTING.md file at the root of the mtdvio/every-programmer-should-know repository. This file serves as the canonical reference for contributors and maintainers, detailing not just the four values but also how to structure submissions that respect them.

Why does the project emphasize "Less is more" over comprehensive coverage?

The "Less is more" value reflects a deliberate rejection of the "link dump" approach common in other awesome-lists. According to the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines, a smaller collection of high-quality, essential resources provides more value than an exhaustive but noisy directory. This ensures developers spend time reading truly impactful material rather than wading through mediocre content.

How do the core values affect what resources get added to the list?

Every submission is filtered through the four core values. Resources must be widely applicable (timeless rather than trendy), low-hype (not contributing to stress or information overload), human-centric (acknowledging the social aspects of coding), and essential (conforming to "less is more"). This strict curation explains why the README.md features books like The Pragmatic Programmer but excludes framework-specific tutorials or newsletter aggregators.

Are soft skills really considered as important as technical skills in this project?

Yes, the core value "Technology is always about human beings" explicitly elevates soft skills to equal importance with technical competencies. The CONTRIBUTING.md file states that coding exists to solve real problems for people, making communication, empathy, and team dynamics essential rather than optional. This philosophy explains the inclusion of resources on leadership, negotiation, and emotional intelligence alongside algorithms and system design.

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