Think First, Then Code

How one engineer’s 20-line PR became a 4-hour mystery—and what he did next

A senior engineer I know spent four hours last week reviewing 20 lines of code.

Four hours. Twenty lines.

The junior developer who wrote it? Let's call him Alex. He's talented, eager, and completely mystified by why such a simple function sparked an endless back-and-forth.

The Real Problem Wasn't the Code

Alex had fallen into the trap most of us know too well: writing first, thinking second.

His function worked. It passed tests. But it raised more questions than a detective novel:

*Why does this parameter exist? Is this function even necessary? What happens if we delete this line?*

The review became an archaeological dig, not a code review.

The Questions That Change Everything

After that marathon session, Alex adopted a new approach. Before writing a single line, he started asking:

"Why does this exist?" – Question every new piece of code before it gets written.

"Can I remove this parameter?" – Challenge every input. Most functions carry unnecessary baggage.

"What am I really trying to solve?" – Step back from the implementation and focus on the actual problem.

"Where is this used?" – Before deleting anything, trace its impact.

The Transformation

The change was immediate.

Alex's next three PRs? Approved in under 30 minutes each.

Not because his code got simpler (though it did). Because his thinking got clearer.

When you ask the hard questions while writing, your reviewers don't have to play detective. They can focus on what matters: helping you build better software.

Your Code Review Starts at Line One

Here's the thing: great code reviews don't happen in GitHub comments.

They happen in your head, while you're typing.

Those 30 seconds you spend questioning your approach? They save hours of back-and-forth later.

Your teammates get faster reviews. Your future self gets cleaner code. Your team gets higher velocity.

What's one question you wish you asked yourself more often while coding? Start there. *Your future self will thank you.*