Learnings
DISCLAIMER: notes to self, what worked for me might not work for you
Throughout my journey with the Artemis project, I encountered various challenges that significantly contributed to my growth as a developer. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of iterative development and embracing imperfection in the initial stages of implementation.
A key insight that proved instrumental in my progress was:
Don’t be afraid to implement an imperfect solution; iterate over it until it works.
This approach taught me the value of starting with a basic implementation, even if flawed, and progressively refining it. By adopting this mindset, I was able to overcome analysis paralysis and make tangible progress on complex features. It allowed me to gather feedback earlier, identify issues more quickly, and ultimately arrive at more robust solutions.
This iterative methodology not only accelerated my development process but also enhanced my problem-solving skills. It encouraged a more flexible and adaptive approach to coding, which proved especially beneficial when tackling the diverse challenges presented by the Artemis project.
Building upon this lesson, I discovered another crucial principle:
There are high chances that what you’re trying to do is already out there, if not completely, then at least partially. The Internet is your oyster.
This realization helped me overcome the common pitfall of reinventing the wheel. I learned to balance my desire for original implementation with the practicality of using existing solutions. This approach not only saved time but also exposed me to industry-standard practices and well-tested code.
By embracing this mindset, I was able to:
- Accelerate development by building upon existing libraries and frameworks.
- Focus more energy on the unique aspects of Artemis that truly required custom solutions.
- Gain exposure to a wider range of coding practices and architectural designs.
It’s important to note that while implementing things from scratch can be an excellent learning experience, during my time at GSoC, I often had to make strategic decisions to prioritize speed and efficiency. This trade-off between deep, ground-up learning and rapid, effective development was a valuable lesson in project management and pragmatic coding.
These principles of iterative development, writing clean code, and strategic use of existing solutions complement each other well. The former encourages experimentation and continuous improvement, while the latter prevents unnecessary reinvention and promotes efficiency. Together, they form a powerful approach to tackling complex software development challenges.
Moving forward, I plan to continue applying these principles, balancing the pursuit of perfection with the pragmatism of incremental improvement and leveraging existing resources. This experience has reinforced the idea that progress often emerges from imperfect beginnings, and that continuous iteration, combined with strategic use of existing solutions, is key to achieving high-quality, functional code.