My Perspective on Software Development

When I first started out in software development, it felt like solving an impossible puzzle—complex, intimidating, and never-ending. But as I gained more experience (and made plenty of mistakes), I began to realize that building software doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right perspective, it can actually be straightforward, even enjoyable.

Here are two lessons that completely changed how I approach development:

Focus on One Feature at a Time

One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was trying to wrap my head around the entire project or dozens of features all at once. Unsurprisingly, this approach only led to frustration and burnout.

The truth is, no one builds a fully finished product in a single step. The key is to break things down and focus on one feature at a time. Instead of stressing over everything that still needs to be built, I learned to ask:

What’s the one small part I can make work perfectly right now?

This mindset shift makes the process far more manageable. Each small success builds momentum, and before long, you find yourself with a working application.

Think Like a User First

Another early mistake I often made was diving straight into the code without thinking about the user. The result? Features that technically worked but were confusing or frustrating to use.

What I’ve since learned is that usability comes first. Before writing a single line of code, I now step into the user’s shoes:

• How will they interact with this feature?
• What steps will they take?
• Does this flow feel natural and intuitive?

By mapping out the user experience first, the coding part becomes much clearer. This simple habit—working from usability to code—saves countless hours and leads to software that people actually enjoy using.

Final Thoughts

As a junior developer, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of software development. But here’s the truth: it’s not some impossible puzzle. If you focus on one feature at a time and always think like a user first, the process becomes much simpler, and your results get a whole lot better.

In the end, software development is just problem-solving—step by step, feature by feature. And the more you practice, the more natural it feels.