First thing is first, you are learning a new stack, you probably have coworkers that know it better than you, so you have a golden opportunity to kill two birds

First thing is first, you are learning a new stack, you probably have coworkers that know it better than you, so you have a golden opportunity to kill two birds (gain favor w coworkers & learn fast) with one stone! Do not bother your coworkers with endless questions or interruptions, but try to use scheduled times to discuss how you're going to build things. In an ideal company, you shouldn't be building things in a bubble, there should be multiple team members ensuring quality instead of one or two brains. (Also ideally coworkers should be trying to learn how you think so they can best tailor tasks to you) The hardest part is continual, backbreaking improvement. It becomes easier as you keep doing it. I recommend getting a twitter and following everyone vocal in the area of the tech stack you're working on AND people who work on the same problems as your company (double reinforcement of shared knowledge in your industry). That way you're aware of the current problems that may arise (instead of being left in the dark), trending new ways to do things, counterpoints of why you should avoid some new trends, etc. Scour the internet for resources, such as HN of course, but also popular see sites, subreddits related to the stack, IRC channels, and follow the Github projects of the tech stack if possible (lots of discussion and examples are there!). I like books. I spend thousands of dollars on books a year, but books on a tech stack rather than development practice will become quickly outdated, and can learn just as much online as you can in a book on a tech stack. I will only buy a tech stack / programming language book is if the language is hard core or if it is new & emerging with a smaller community. I'd also recommend taking extra time to analyze and plan before diving in. Just sitting for maybe an extra 3 minutes allowing your mind to clear so you can put things together in the right way. Your goal is to become opinionated and knowledgeable faster, so taking the time to get it right early on is permissible. Finally I recommend something that others won't tell you. It's to become a super fan of the stack (how) and company's mission (why). Your newly found enthusiasm would be a superb speed boost to your goals and add increased visibility to your efforts. You will not instantly become productive or enlightened, but the fact that you're seeking to be better (yay enthusiasm) does increase the likeliness that you will succeed.