Bengaluru woman shares that 20-minute habit she learnt while working in Google

Spending a year at one of the world’s most renowned tech companies leaves a mark, not just on a resume, but on the way you approach work itself. Bengaluru-based techie Diksha Aggarwal recently completed her first year at Google and took to social media to share the lessons that shaped her thinking. From coding practices to team dynamics, her reflections offer a rare glimpse into what it takes to thrive in one of the most demanding engineering cultures on the planet.

Aggarwal highlighted 12 key lessons from her year, starting with the importance of simplicity over cleverness. Writing readable, maintainable code may be harder, but it ensures ownership and long-term impact. She emphasised that even tiny bugs can have massive consequences at scale, and tests aren’t just tasks—they’re a safeguard for peace of mind.

Documenting why

She explained that small pull requests receive higher-quality reviews, while massive ones often get rushed approvals, making incremental updates more effective. Documenting the “why” behind decisions is crucial, as code shows what happened, but comments explain the reasoning. Bringing data to support ideas matters far more than opinions when attempting change.

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A post shared by Diksha Aggarwal (@diksha__aggarwal__)

20-minute habit

A habit she found transformative is asking for help after being stuck for 20 minutes. In a large organization, someone has likely solved the same problem already, and reaching out prevents wasted time and frustration. She also observed that when issues arise, Google’s culture focuses on solutions rather than blame, encouraging accountability and systemic ownership.

Imposter syndrome

Beyond technical skills, Aggarwal reflected on the human aspects of engineering life. Imposter syndrome is universal—everyone is learning constantly. Deleting unnecessary code is as valuable as writing new features, and above all, the user experience must guide decisions. The tech itself matters less than whether it genuinely helps people.


Grateful for a transformative first year, Aggarwal enters Year 2 with a sharper focus, a set of proven habits, and a clearer understanding of what it means to contribute meaningfully in a high-impact engineering environment.