Ask HN: Advice for a new grad starting as a Software Engineer at a startup

1 karthik_jain 0 8/24/2025, 1:51:39 PM

I’m a recent grad about to start my first role as a Software Engineer 1 at a startup. I’d love any advice on making an impact early while also setting myself up for long-term growth.

I like doing casual “vibe-coding” to sharpen my skills, but I want to make sure I’m building good habits and not just hacking away. How do you balance that with learning real-world engineering skills?

Also, are there things specific to startup environments I should keep in mind as someone early in their career?

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Ask HN: Advice for a new grad starting as a Software Engineer at a startup

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