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Justin wrote this post in response to The Best Programmers I Know which was making the rounds last week.

Anyway, if you're asking me, the single best trait to predict whether I'm looking at a good programmer or a great one is undoubtedly perseverance. Someone that takes to each new challenge like a dog to a bone, and who struggles to sleep until the next obstacle is cleared.

Sometimes you run into a wall with a bug, you’ve searched for it a dozen different ways, you’ve talked off Claude’s ear about it, and you still don’t have a fix. How do you not give up when it feels this hopeless? That’s the perseverance he is talking about, at least in part.

For me, much of this perseverance is earned. Meaning, I pushed through to a solution when I was hopelessly stuck the last dozen times, so I know I can do it this time.