14 Comments
Oct 27Liked by Gregor Ojstersek

Clever code is probably the worst code you could write.

Clear, readable code is probably the hardest code to write.

Great article Gregor!

Expand full comment
author

Simple code is hard to write! And yes clever for you might be a nightmare to understand for someone else. Thanks Petar!

Expand full comment

I think we get paid to make complex things simple

Expand full comment
author

Right, this should definitely be one of the main focuses for all of us.

Expand full comment

This is how it starts.

Then people want to add and add, and add…

Expand full comment
author
Oct 28·edited Oct 28Author

Right, it happens unfortunately. It’s important that devs do the right thing and ask questions + challenge the requirements if someone wants to keep adding and adding.

Expand full comment
Oct 28Liked by Gregor Ojstersek

I really like your blog and how you interpret things. On a related note, I’ve been using EchoAPI in VS Code, and it has completely transformed my API testing workflow!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks a lot Stephanie for the kind words and glad that you like reading my articles. Oh that's great. As I like to say: Anything that helps you be more productive is a good thing to use.

Expand full comment

Functionality is an asset, code is a liability. Therefore, no code is the best code.

Expand full comment
author

That makes sense Alex. No code -> no maintenance needed.

Expand full comment

Simplicity can be difficult but rewarding

Aligned with all the points about simple code

I would also add that if a solution to a problem doesn't require code writing, that's ideal (eg: not reinventing the wheel, or aligning on an alternative to a problem that requires not as involved change)

As long as we ask "why" behind a problem, that can help drive alignment

Expand full comment
author

Well said Karthik. Often, the best solution is a no-code solution. We are problem-solvers at the end of the day and writing code is just one way of solving problems.

Expand full comment

All products have an “operational tax”. It’s an asset, just like a home that needs repairs before it can be rented to tenants.

Just like SaaS… the simpler the codebase, the easier to maintain the asset over time. And it’s more enjoyable to contribute code to a simple and flexible codebase! Better productivity (:

Expand full comment
author

Love the analogy Robert! Very well explained. It’s important to make the code as an asset and not as a liability!

Expand full comment