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Theo argues that what you build matters even as the methods of software development change. His approach is to solve a problem of his own, then keep working through the related problems until he arrives at something useful.
- 1What you build mattersTheo loves software architecture, but says changes in how people build make the choice of project especially important.
- 2Project selection can be scaryPeople worry that choosing the wrong project will waste their time and energy.
- 3Start with your own problemTheo follows the problems that emerge from solving an initial need, continuing until he builds something useful.
Conclusiones
- As building methods change, choosing what to build remains important.
- A problem you actually experience can be a starting point for a project.
- Solving one problem can reveal others that lead to a useful creation.
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What to build
Theo reflects on how software development has changed. He argues that choosing what to build still matters.
I spend a lot of time talking about the best ways to build, and I love the details of software architecture. But things have changed, and in many ways how we build matters less than it once did. What we build still matters, and arguably always has.
Follow a problem you have
Theo recommends starting with a problem of your own. Solving it can reveal further problems and eventually lead to something useful.
Choosing a good project is hard. Many people worry that picking the wrong thing will waste their time and energy. My usual advice is to solve a problem you actually have.
Once you start solving it, you find more problems. Follow that rabbit hole and you may eventually find something really useful. That is how I have built cool things throughout my career: I start with one problem, find another, and keep yak shaving until I have made something interesting.
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