🔥Mistake #1 - Skipping The Basics

This is a classic one. I was so eager to automate everything that I didn't bother learning the fundamentals of Python or Revit API.

I just wanted to see results, and I wanted them fast. But skipping the basics is like skipping important steps when laying a solid foundation - you always pay for it later.

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✅ Lesson Learned:

Take your time with the basics.

Learn the syntax, understand the logic, and practice writing clean, simple code. Trust me, it's worth it. Revit API becomes so much easier when you first master the basics.

🔥Mistake #2 - Over-Optimizing Too Early

Do you spend too much time optimizing your code before you even have a proof of concept?

I did. I wasted days improving specific steps, only to find out later that the overall approach wouldn’t work. It’s a classic rookie mistake—trying to make scripts "perfect" before they even work.

✅ Lesson Learned:​
Make it work first.
Then, you can optimize or polish it.

🔥Mistake #3 - Not Testing Enough

"If it worked once, it doesn't mean it will work every time." -EF

I was so excited to share my new tools, only to receive messages like, "What should I do with this huge red error message?"

I was like:

That's because I tested my scripts on one Revit model and call it a day. Oops...

Every project is unique, and we need to keep that in mind.

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✅Lesson Learned:

Test your scripts on multiple models across multiple Revit versions.

Also, it's great to pick up a habit of trying to break all your scripts while you write them. That's how you can fix it before your users break them. That's a good habit to have.

🔥Mistake #4 - Reinventing the Wheel

Why? I don't know... pride, maybe? Or I'm just too lazy to research a few minutes to realize that this feature already exists in Revit itself... That happened too.

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I often jumped into coding too early. I spent hours creating tools that already existed.

Why? I’m not sure... maybe pride? Or maybe I was just too lazy to spend a few minutes researching to find out that Revit already had that feature(Yep, that happened) or there is a solution on GitHub.

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✅Lesson Learned:​
Check if someone else has solved the problem first. Reuse existing code and build on top of other tools. There is no shame in reusing code.

🔥Mistake #5 - Not Asking for Help

I was a stubborn learner.

I didn't want to bother anyone, and I certainly didn't want to look like a newbie. So, I struggled a lot instead... (Not recommended).

If only I had asked for help, I would've saved countless hours and learnt better tricks.

✅Lesson Learned:​
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, join communities, and learn from other developers. Nobody expects you to know everything. I still have a lot of things to learn myself, and that's normal.

P.S.

I've built a community for my course students and it's getting more active.

I see a lot of new coders asking for help and many others jump in to help them. People are very excited to talk about coding in Revit and share what they've learnt so far or even help brainstorm together.

I often find how others already provided code solution before I even could read the question myself. Communities are awesome.

​Click Here to learn more about LearnRevitAPI Community.

✨Bonus Mistake: Giving Up Too Soon

I've noticed a pattern in programming.

Everyone encounters issues. You’ve probably had moments where you tried everything, and nothing worked. NOTHING.

But then you return to the same code a few days later and solve it in five minutes. I’m sure this has happened to you before, and it will happen again.

✅Lesson Learned:
​Don't quit too early.

Take a break and come back to the code later. You never know what your subconscious has been working on.

Don’t worry, making mistakes is a normal part of the journey.
It’s how we learn and grow as developers.

Keep experimenting, keep learning, and most importantly, keep making mistakes that you learn from.