The Pitfall of Tunnel Vision in Software Engineering

As software engineers, solving complex problems and delivering reliable solutions depends on clear thinking, good judgment, and a strong ability to focus. Hyper-focus is something we rely on every day to work through tough challenges and dive deep into the details.

But that same focus can sometimes become a problem. When it narrows too much, it turns into tunnel vision. In this article, I’ll explore what that looks like, why it happens, and how to avoid getting stuck in it.

What is Tunnel Vision?

Tunnel vision happens when you're so locked into one solution that you stop questioning it. You miss better options, overlook trade-offs, and ignore red flags because you're too deep in your own thoughts to see clearly. It feels like progress, but it's really just spinning in place.

Imagine staring straight ahead through a tunnel. Everything outside that narrow view disappears. What starts as concentration becomes fixation. You’re no longer thinking critically, just charging forward with blind confidence.

That's what I call “Mind Jail”. You're stuck in your own head, convinced your approach is the only way, while the real solution might be sitting just a few steps to the side.

Recognizing the Signs

How do you know if you've fallen into this trap? Watch for these red flags:

1. Emotional attachment: A microservices enthusiast might over-apply the pattern, suggesting it even for simple apps where a monolith would be more efficient, focusing on microservices' benefits while ignoring the added complexity.

2. Detail obsession: An example of that can be obsessing over code performance in one module to the point that this module can be hard to update in the future. Let's just write it in assembly, guys, trust me, it'd be fast!

3. Scope creep blindness: Adding "nice-to-have" features without considering their impact on timelines or system stability.

4. Over-engineering: Creating unnecessarily complex solutions for simple problems that might end up as a demo for the client.

5. Technical elegance: Building features that satisfy technical elegance rather than addressing actual user needs.

What are the Root Causes

Knowing what causes tunnel vision makes it easier to avoid. Here are a few of the usual suspects:

1. Confirmation bias: Seeking information that validates our ideas while ignoring factors that go against them.

2. Anchoring bias: Over-reliance on the first piece of information received (The "anchor" ⚓).
   An initial idea or approach can overly influence subsequent thinking, even if better options emerge.

3. Sunk cost fallacy: Continuing down a chosen path because of already invested time and effort in it.

4. Tight deadlines: Pressure that forces quick decisions without proper evaluation.

5. Incomplete requirements: Building without a clear understanding of the actual needs.

6. Limited team collaboration: This can contribute to tunnel vision by restricting the diversity of ideas and different ways of thinking.

I Want To Break Free

The following methods are the ones that I use to avoid falling victim to tunnel vision:

1. Get a second (or a third) opinion: Seek feedback from colleagues or peers to gain different perspectives and uncover potential blind spots in your approach.

2. Time-box exploration: Time-boxed explorations to test assumptions before full implementation.
   (Better to fail fast than build the wrong thing.)

3. Think like a user: How will they interact with this feature? What are their pain points? This can highlight overlooked usability or functional requirements.

4. Zoom out: Ask yourself:

   • How does this piece fit into the larger system?

   • Is there a simpler way to achieve this?

   • Have we considered the long-term results of this decision?

5. Create mind maps/diagrams: Use mind maps to visually organize your thoughts and explore different angles of the problem, which can help in identifying overlooked aspects.

6. Start fresh: Ask yourself, if we were starting today, would we still choose this approach? that helps you avoid clinging in the same thoughts that were influenced by technical dept and tight deadlines.

7. Know when to walk away: If you're deep in a rabbit hole, take a break. Sometimes the best ideas come after stepping back (mine usually comes in the shower).

Conclusion

Tunnel vision doesn't make you a bad developer. In fact, it often comes from a place of care and deep focus.
But awareness is key. The sooner you recognize when you're stuck, the faster you can shift gears, zoom out, and build smarter.

Software engineering isn't just about solving problems, it's about solving the right problems in the right way. And that starts with looking outside the tunnel.