5 Ways First Principles Thinking Helps You Code Better

In this video, I'll cover 5 ways first principles thinking has helped me become a better software developer. These fundamental principles are game-changers, and by the end of this video, you’ll know exactly how to apply them to improve your coding skills.

🔖 Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:50 Identify and Define the Fundamental Truths
3:18 Break Down Problems to Their Core
4:51 Reassemble Elements Innovatively
6:01 Validate Assumptions Regularly
7:21 Focus on Simplicity and Functionality
8:34 BONUS: Make Sure You Learn Continuously
9:32 Outro

#arjancodes #softwaredesign #python

[MicheleHjorleifsson]

I like these types of videos, its like chatting with a peer about process and techniques

[manomancan]

Love your channel so much, man! Definitely pushing me to be a much better (self-taught) engineer; I even find my own code easier to read! Could I ask for basic intros to mathematical theory and applications we need to know as well, please? There doesn't seem to be a middle ground in online learning communities: Either they are very theoretical and almost university-courses-like, or mathematical issues are completely skimmed over. For example, I'd love to start with algorithmic complexity analysis in real life situations. As an example, how would you, if you were the newly appointed CTO of a new company that just received funding, approach optimising their code base for speed and the quality of their main algorithms? Thanks as always, Arjan!

[virtualraider]

You have an outstanding series of coding pattern videos 🔥 The comment about not thinking what pattern to use but instead think what kind of problem is it made me think that you could add a companion video form that perspective 😃

[rommellagera]

There are 3 I follow:

1. Assumptions must always be validated, or assume your assumptions are wrong unless tested correct. Also code are also assumptions unless tested in real scenarios.

2. We write code to solve customer's problem. I don't know why coders are obssesed with technology or methodology that most no longer focus on the problem.

3. The system as a whole is only as strong as it weakest point. We must test the system thoroughly and completely. Users don't care if your code passed unit test, they want the whole system to be correct not just parts of it.

[DistortedV]

This is one of the best videos, I've seen on this topic.

[wa.]

uhhh your comment about the decorators thing. thanks a lot. i thought i was the only one that thinks that and some kind of a general feeling of missing out. THANKS!

[dragonfly-]

Well, Arjan, that is some sort of redirecting back to the right path. I for my own can state that I heard of these principals several times. But applying them all the time is the challenge since one gets distracted by so many different things potentially finally running into "rabbit holes" (🐰). Therefore: Thank you for this ... 👍🙏

[NoProblem]

I cant agree more with the type annotation part, sometimes type gymnastic is just way too crazy

[agustinayala]

Excelent video! Sometimes you know the technical and the theoretical part but you get stuck when facing the actual problem.

[Micah]

i loved videos about datetime and pathlib. I hope you will make more of them

[Golgafrincham]

Really nice video in my opinion. These ideas can easily applied to much more than software development. :)

[MattDeveloper]

Thanks for sharing! Please continue doing those videos ;)

[DevlogBill]

This is a really good video! One of your best...
Quick question I am some what new but not really. Never had a real world job in programming but I've been making small CRUD applications on my own I think they call this dog fooding. Anyways, when should you unit test? I've never unit tested before. Do you unit test during your project? Or when the project is done? Also when do you know when you are ready to learn unit testing? When do you know when you are ready?
Thank you!

[wogvorph]

I hear about breaking problems to smaller pieces, but how to know what pieces? How's to know what to look for?

[AndrewBlucher]

The difficulty for many programmers is the tension between first principles and the currently fashionable library, technique, language.l

[izzidin]

please arjan make a video (or maybe tutorial) about "Mojo"

[ErikS-]

5:49 ... "capital city" = Amsterdam
"political center" = The Hague
"tech capital" = Eindhoven (+Veldhoven) 😉

[ЕвгенийИванов-юб]

I'm first! Love your channel! Please, more stuff about deep learning!

[ronaldronald]

Gone think about these 5 First Principe Thinking Ways a bit more. Starting by watching this video again. Thanks for sharing Arjan.

[maxbaugh]

One of my friends, who is a much stronger software engineer than I am, argues that if you find yourself dealing with type-hints too much then maybe Python isn't the right language for the task at hand