Hot take: typing speed matters more than most developers think.
The Math
If you type at 40 WPM and your coworker types at 80 WPM, you're literally spending twice as long on the physical act of writing code. Yes, most of programming is thinking, not typing. But when you're in the zone and the solution is clear in your head, slow fingers are a bottleneck.
Where Speed Helps Most
- Slack/Teams messages — you spend more time chatting than you think
- Documentation — fast typing = actually writing docs instead of avoiding it
- Code reviews — thorough comments in half the time
- Terminal commands — muscle memory for common commands
Where Speed Doesn't Matter
- Architecture decisions
- Debugging complex issues
- Reading other people's code
- Meetings (unfortunately)
My Typing Test
I built a simple typing speed test that measures your WPM and accuracy in real-time. It uses random programming-related sentences so it actually feels relevant.
Try it: Typing Speed Test
Takeaway
You don't need to be a 150 WPM typist. But going from 40 to 70 WPM is achievable for anyone and the compounding time savings are real.