How I Work
The process I follow to build things that work well, stay fast, and don't fall apart six months later.
Code is the easy part. The hard part is building the right thing, in a way that doesn't break next month. Here's how I handle the hard part.
1. Understand Before I Code
Before I write a single line, I figure out what's actually broken. Sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often people jump straight to solutions without understanding the problem.
I don't mix up symptoms with root causes. At this stage, I'm just describing what's wrong — nothing else.
2. Clarify the Scope
This has two parts.
i. What's Happening
I rewrite the problem in plain language. Not the vague spec someone handed me — what's actually going on. If I have to guess, I ask. If I'm assuming something, I say so.
ii. Why It Matters
Not every bug is worth fixing right now. I figure out what this problem actually costs:
- App slows down as data grows
- Screen flashes white before dark mode kicks in
- UI feels laggy because of unnecessary re-renders
If the impact is small, maybe it waits. If it's hurting users, it moves up.
3. Boring Solutions, Exciting Results
Two parts here too.
i. What Can't Break
Before I change anything, I list what has to stay working:
- Accessibility stays the same or gets better
- Existing APIs don't break
- Users don't notice anything got worse
- Code doesn't become harder to read
ii. How I'll Know It Works
I set clear goals for the fix — not "make it faster" but specific things I can actually verify:
- Selecting a row doesn't re-render the whole table
- Callbacks don't trigger hooks that shouldn't run
- Re-renders happen only where they should
- Load time goes down, not up
4. Anticipate the Chaos
Users don't follow the happy path. They click things twice, close tabs mid-request, paste weird data. I think about this stuff before it bites me:
- Weird user behavior
- Empty states, loading states, error states
- What happens when traffic spikes
- Edge cases in third-party integrations
It's not paranoia — it's just planning.
5. I Own the Outcome
After I ship, I don't disappear. I write down:
- What I built and why
- Why I think it'll hold up
- What I tested
- What I'll fix if it breaks
If something goes wrong, it's on me. That's the deal.
That's how I work. Nothing fancy — just a process that keeps me from cutting corners and helps me ship stuff I'm not embarrassed by later.