Chapter 1 The Unexpected Genius

In 2007, I was brought on board as a consultant for a budding transportation software company in Warsaw. My role was to assist with an algorithm designed to calculate service pricing. They had developed a Palmtop application for this purpose. However, an issue arose when attempting to calculate prices across continents.

The startup employed a rather chaotic version of agile methodology, with no documentation or tests in place at that time. Until then, everything had functioned smoothly. The complex algorithm had been created by a junior developer, who I soon met. He expressed concern about the continental feature, which had already been launched but was not performing correctly.

He handed me the Palmtop loaded with the application. After conducting some tests, I discovered an error: the expected value was $7,475.76, but the app displayed $7,376.64 instead. When I brought this discrepancy to his attention, he responded, "Let me take a look." He then accessed the Palmtop's keyboard and typed 'god mode'. Suddenly, a console log-style interface appeared with an input field. He entered the command 'list', and the screen filled with sentences and values.

He examined the output and remarked, "Yes, that's the issue, but I can't figure out why. It appears that everything is calculating correctly." I studied the screen, which displayed a detailed, step-by-step output of the algorithm and its corresponding values.

It was a remarkable sight. He glanced at me, and I looked back at the screen, which seemed like a console from a video game adapted for business applications. He had effectively translated each step of the algorithm into a comprehensible format, incorporating a hidden debugging and instruction feature within the app.

What initially appeared to be a bizarre concept opened my eyes. His console was nothing short of impressive. It allowed me to see the entire logic leading to the final result without needing to reverse engineer, debug, or trace stacks and variables.

The silence lingered for a moment, causing him some concern, but I eventually told him it was an excellent idea to implement if it ever went into production. He explained that it wasn't meant for that, but testers occasionally requested a way to type in code and understand the results. This feature made troubleshooting the algorithm far simpler. What I anticipated would take around six days (due to the lack of documentation) ended up taking just one day. His innovative thinking has continued to impress me to this day.

Although he was a junior developer, he managed to devise a method to elegantly handle the algorithm's complexity. Simplifying tasks can resolve numerous challenges.

The first video, The Secret to Writing High-Quality Code More Efficiently, delves into techniques that enhance coding productivity and code quality.

Chapter 2 Embracing Innovation in Coding

The second video, How I've Gotten Better at Coding, shares personal insights and strategies for improving coding skills over time.