In developer communities, respect is earned through skill, experience, and the willingness to help others without showing off. A helpful expert shares real knowledge, offers practical solutions, and guides others through challenges without making them feel small. Authority comes from action, not attitude — and the goal is always to lift others up, not to stand above them.

A developer worth their salt is able to grasp a new language or framework relatively quickly, and be proficient with it quite soon afterwards. In order to keep continuously up to date with the latest technologies, developers need to develop methods to cut through the weeds and get to the essentials efficiently. This is why good developers usually prefer getting straight to point instead of beating around the bush.

Informality is a universally recognized part of developer culture. In a professional setting this usually comes out as less formal work attire – jeans, t-shirts, hoodies and so forth.

An experienced and knowledgeable person, an undeniable authority in their field, has no need to pretend to be anything else than who they are. Their background and credentials are there for anyone to see, and they are beyond the point where keeping up appearances would serve a purpose anymore. They know their field inside out, have well-argumented points of view, and have plenty of 1st hand experiences and stories to share. This internal cohesion comes out as relaxed, down-to-earth behavior where you can be yourself without maintaining an additional facade.

Being a developer often means seeing the world a little differently — finding beauty in clever solutions, joy in small technical details, and humor in places others might not notice. Geekiness isn't just tolerated in developer culture; it's a badge of authenticity. Creativity and technical curiosity go hand in hand, and a bit of playful spirit makes even hard problems more fun to solve.

Being associated with the Nordic way of living has always been cool. Nordic ever-green topics are e.g. minimalist design aesthetics, tech industry, clean nature (with harsh winters). In recent times, resilience and preparedness have emerged as new Nordic success stories.

Despite the obvious reindeer mascot, Vaadin doesn't need to underline its Nordic origins. Just a hint of "Nordic cool" should be part of its developer personality. There are plenty of opportunities to exhibit this side of the brand, e.g.: