Composure
- 1 minA key skill in software development is debugging. Debugging is something that we as developers do pretty much every day when working with code. It’s an ability so essential that books and talks have been created on it.
A common technique that is used during debugging is the “5 Whys”. Following the technique carefully helps to uncover the root cause of a bug. It’s a technique that can also be combined very effectively with the “Scientific method”.
The problem however that I sometimes face is composure. Composure in the sense that I might lose my sense of calmness during the above phase. Having spent a significant amount of time on a problem, I might arrive at a point where I really have no clue where to go next. You don’t know what you don’t know and in a debugging scenario this can drain your mental energy fast.
The real skill here is the ability to remain calm and keep asking simple, smaller whys. Take a break and come back. Backtrack and question every small decision. Why is this method here? Is this necessary? Ask questions and ask for help. Your team are there to help you so use them wisely. Above all, stay calm.
Personal blog of Makis Otman