Think you are Spring Boot, Rest API Expert?

Producing well-functioning APIs consistently is a great achievement and a strong indicator of your skills. However, "expert" is a label that often requires more than just consistent success. Here's a breakdown of why and what might elevate you to expert status:

What you're doing well (and why it's important):

• Consistently producing good APIs: This is HUGE. It shows you understand the fundamentals of API design, development, and deployment. Reliability and predictability are essential for any API.

• Microservices architecture: Working within a microservices environment means you're dealing with distributed systems, which adds complexity.1 Successfully navigating this is a valuable skill.

• Optimized and performant APIs: This demonstrates your understanding of performance tuning and best practices for efficient code. Users care about speed and responsiveness.2

• Returning the right data: Accuracy is paramount. Your APIs are fulfilling their core function, which is crucial.

What might be missing to reach "expert" level:

• Breadth of knowledge: Experts often have a deep understanding of various API design patterns, security best practices, different data formats, and evolving technologies in the API landscape. They can choose the right tool for the job.

• Experience with edge cases and failures: While consistent success is great, how do your APIs handle unexpected situations? Experts are skilled at designing for resilience, error handling, and graceful degradation. They've seen things break and know how to prevent it.

• Understanding of the broader ecosystem: Experts often understand how APIs fit into the larger architecture and business context. They consider scalability, maintainability, and the long-term implications of design choices.

• Contribution to the community: Sharing knowledge through blog posts, open-source contributions, conference talks, or mentoring others can solidify your expert status. It shows a commitment to the field and a willingness to help others.

• Innovation and problem-solving: Experts are often at the forefront of innovation, finding new ways to solve challenging problems in API design and development. They might contribute to the development of new standards or best practices.

In short: You're likely a very competent and skilled API developer, and consistency is a fantastic trait. To move towards "expert" status, consider broadening your knowledge, tackling more complex challenges, and contributing to the community. It's a journey of continuous learning and growth. Don't be afraid to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and explore new areas within API development.