The Heart of Software Engineering: Problem-Solving Before Code
Sarah had been staring at her screen for hours, meticulously crafting code for a customer authentication system. Her implementation was elegant, adhering to all the best practices, yet something felt off. It wasn’t until she stepped away from her keyboard and grabbed her trusted notepad that clarity struck.
“I’ve been solving the wrong problem,” she muttered, sketching out the actual user journey. The client didn’t need a complex authentication system—they needed a simple way to track repeat customers across multiple devices. In fifteen minutes of thinking and drawing, she had a solution that would require half the code and serve users far better.
After four decades in software engineering, I’ve witnessed countless brilliant minds arrive at the same revelation: the essence of our craft isn’t in the syntax, libraries, or frameworks. It’s in our ability to dissect problems, understand their true nature, and envision solutions before writing a single line of code.
Consider the great engineering breakthroughs of our time. The first spreadsheet wasn’t born from a desire to write code—it emerged from Dan Bricklin’s frustration with repetitive accounting calculations. The real innovation wasn’t in the implementation; it was in recognizing and solving a fundamental human need.
Today’s engineering landscape has evolved dramatically. We have AI coding assistants, automated testing frameworks, and tools that generate entire applications from simple commands. Yet the skill that separates exceptional engineers from good ones remains unchanged: the ability to solve problems effectively.
Here’s how you can cultivate this skill in your own work:
- Start with the problem, not the solution. When faced with a new project, resist the urge to open your IDE immediately. Dedicate time to understanding the problem space thoroughly.
- Ask “why” repeatedly. Challenge assumptions by asking “why” at least three times before diving into the “how.” This helps uncover the root cause of the issue.
- Use simple tools first. Before writing code, sketch your ideas on paper, a whiteboard, or in plain text. Visualizing the problem often leads to clearer solutions.
- Consider non-technical solutions. Sometimes the best code is no code at all. Explore whether the problem can be solved through process changes, better communication, or existing tools.
Here’s a practical exercise: the next time you’re tackling a software challenge, try explaining the problem to someone who doesn’t code. If you can’t articulate it clearly without technical jargon, you might not understand it well enough to solve it effectively.
Remember, every line of code is a liability—it needs to be maintained, tested, and debugged. The best engineers I’ve known aren’t those who write the most sophisticated code; they’re the ones who solve complex problems with elegant simplicity.
As my old mentor used to say, with a twinkle in his eye, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand. But great engineers solve problems so clearly that the code becomes obvious.”
Let’s keep building solutions, not just systems.