The Solution was Right Infront of Me

Picture this: I’m sitting at my desk, looking at the same piece of code for the third day in a row. I’ve been trying to implement this feature that should, in theory, be straightforward. But instead, I’m so deep in complex logic, dumb algorithms and a few questionable lifechoices. My brain is also fried because of this.

Finally, I decide to explain the problem to a senior developer(he cooked me afterwards). So, as I pour out my complicated solution, bro listens patiently, nods, and then drops a bombshell: “Why don’t you just do this instead?”

This, as it turned out, is the simplest, most elegant solution possible. It’s the kind of think that makes you want to slap yourself on the forhead(I did that) and scream, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” But that’s the thing - sometimes, when you’re knee deep in the details, you forget the bigger picture. You overengineer.

Overengineering is like trying to build a castle when all you need is a cottage. Obviously, you could probably build both if you have the resources, but you definitely cannot build a castle in a two week sprint, lmfao. It’s easy to get caught up in the desire to build the perfect system - something that’s capable of handling every possible scenario. But in the pursuit of dumb perfection, we lose sight of what really matters: solving the problem at hand.

Take my two-day torture for instance, I was so focused on building something that could handle every possible scenario that I completely overlooked the simplest solution. And I’m not alone - this happens to developers all the time. We’re meant to think critically, to anticipate potential issues, and to design systems that can stand the test of time. But sometimes, this mindset can lead us down a rabbit hole of complexity.

The Beauty of Simplicity

The best solutions are often the simplest ones. But simplicity isn’t always easy to spot, especially when you’re in the thick of things. That’s why it’s important to take a step back and look at the problem from a different angle. Sometimes, the solution is staring you right in the face - you just need to clear the mental fog to see it.

This a little trick I’ve learned: when you’re stuck, explain your problem to someone else. It could be a colleague, a friend, or even an [insert your item of choice] - lol. The idea is to express your problem out loud, step by step. This process of verbalizing forces you to clarify your thoughts and can often lead to that “aha!” moment where the solution becomes clear.

So the next time you find yourself overcomplicating a problem, remember my two-day ordeal and the simple solution that was right in front of me all along. Step back, and ask yourself: “Is there a simpler way to do this?” Chances are, the answer is yes. And when you find that elegant, straightforward solution, you’ll wonder why you ever made things so complicated in the first place.