Great development is about more than code

Most developers start out focusing solely on learning how to write code; usually a specific language and specific techniques. I started out with BASIC; spending many hours tinkering with games and graphics. I loved creating things just to see if I could create them not because there was any need to do so. 

Later I used the same approach to learn the syntax and capabilities of Java. It was easier this time, many of the skills I’d learned from BASIC were applicable despite the language differences. As my knowledge increased I created more sophisticated, and complicated solutions. I felt like I was becoming a better developer and I was, but I still wasn’t what you would call a good developer.

It took many years for me to really appreciate the importance of fully understanding a problem before even thinking about the solution. Spending time, often way more than you feel comfortable spending, thinking about the problem before writing a single line of code is hard. It feels counter-intuitive to see a problem and not immediately start trying to solve it. Experience taught me that good code design does not come from writing code.

Believing that complicated code is better code is a mistake, and one commonly made. Good code is the right code for the problem. It’s the right code for the team (language, tools, level of documentation), and it’s the right code for the problem (testability, maintainability, extendability). Often that means that the best code for the job is the most boring, simplest code. The kind of code that anyone in the team can pick up and work with.

Great developers are those that can see a business problem, collaborate with others, and design the simplest solution to get things done. They’re able to balance their time to support others, investigate ideas, as well as writing code. Being proficient in the language is a big part of their success, but it isn’t the only part. Anyone wanting to increase their development skills needs to look past simply writing code and start learning how to design great (simple) solutions.