When you have two developers with similar skill sets, how do they set themselves apart? One way is by demonstrating great problem-solving skills. Of course, being good at coding helps, but if you don’t know what to code then that won’t help. In this post, I am going to be discussing why you need to learn to solve problems instead of code.
Software Development Is About Solving Problems
Software development is about solving business or customer’s problems. You use software to automate a solution for your business and or customers.
Sometimes, to solve a problem, you might not need to code at all. There might be a library out there that solves the exact problem you need to solve. In such a case it would make sense to use that library and call it a day and move onto the next problem. The programmer in you is probably yelling out how boring that is compared to writing your own library to solve the problem. However, that’s the nature of software development — your goal is to solve problems.
Being Good at Coding Doesn’t Mean You’re a Good Software Developer
Knowing a programming language very well alone doesn’t make you a good software developer. It makes you a great programmer. You can be very good at solving something technical, but it might not bring value to the business or customers.
To be a good software developer, you need to also be a good problem solver too. You can think of software developer as solving business or customer’s problems and programmer as solving technical problems. You do need both, but solving business or customers’ problem will definitely bring more value and make you more valuable.
Gives You Better Insights to What You’re Building
Software can become big and complex and it is easy to lose sight of what you’re trying to build. When you’re focused on solving problems you are focusing on what you’re trying to build without the complication of code. Solving problems allows you to understand the why for a problem, which is important. You shouldn’t be doing something without a good reason.
Makes You a Better Developer
Problem-solving requires you to breakdown complex problems into small and manageable parts. The ability to break problems down is valuable and helps you develop a cleaner and understandable solution. In addition, it helps you reach a solution more quickly and efficiently. So, not only are you solving big complex problems faster the result is also better because you are putting together solutions to each smaller problem together.
I hope this post was helpful to you. If you found this post helpful, share it with others so they can benefit too.
Which do you find to be more important? Coding capability or problem-solving skills?
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