Rewriting Code? Discover the Key Question You Should Be Asking

Writing new software is a journey of research, discovery, and creation. Like any research endeavor, it requires a clear guiding question to establish direction. This question is only answered at the conclusion of the process. Moving in one direction means temporarily setting aside other possibilities. Building momentum demands a sustained commitment to a chosen path. Without this commitment, you will repeat false starts over and over. If you find yourself frequently starting over, take a moment to clarify the question you are implicitly trying to answer.

Any research starts with a clear question that gives direction. Similarly, any new software begins with a clear goal and a set of requirements you want to meet. In personal projects, it's easy to skip this step and end up starting over repeatedly, getting lost in the excitement of creation for its own sake.

Any decision to move in a particular direction means temporarily foregoing other options. In software development, choosing a specific technology stack, such as opting for React for the front end and Node.js for the back end, means setting aside alternatives like Blazor or Python/Django, at least for the time being. This choice influences the project's architecture, the skills required, and the potential trade-offs. Personal projects come with their own challenges because working alone is both freeing and limiting.

Building momentum requires a steady commitment to a chosen direction. Without this commitment, false starts become common. Constantly changing direction wastes time and resources and lowers morale. Each shift means relearning new tools and adapting to different approaches, which slows down overall progress.

If the direction you're heading in turns out to be wrong or misleading, don't just go back to writing software from scratch. Instead, revisit your implicit requirements. If you find yourself restarting projects again and again, it's crucial to clarify the core problem you're trying to address.