Overcoming Analysis Paralysis as a Software Developer
This is a common thing to have when picking anything like a library, tool, web framework, tech stack, implementation strategy and more.
Quick Jump: Going Over Everything
This is a great quote from how to be a Linux kernel manager:
It helps to realize that the key difference between a big decision and a small one is whether you can fix your decision afterwards.
That was a nice reminder to hear because in the grand scheme of things most tech related choices are small because fixing them means deleting or refactoring code. If you happen to be a perfectionist your mind will trick you into thinking small decisions are big ones.
In this video we’ll go over a few ways to overcome analysis paralysis such as making a proof of concept with all of your choices and using Socratic questioning.
Going Over Everything
Timestamps
- 0:34 – I tend to be a perfectionist and it thrives with indecision
- 1:47 – Make a proof of concept with all of your choices
- 3:09 – What it’s like to be a manager for the Linux kernel
- 5:06 – How this applied to me recently with Terraform
- 7:07 – A lot of tech choices are small in the grand scheme of things
- 8:14 – Don’t be afraid to form your own opinions
- 8:57 – Backtracking out of potentially incorrect small decisions
- 9:42 – Using Socratic questioning to systematically help make choices
Reference Links
- https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/management-style.html
- https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/would-socrates-use-docker-today
What tactics do you use to make decisions? Let me know below.