Code for Humans First

Code is read 10 times more than it’s written. Write for the next person who will read it—that person might be you in 6 months.

Clever code might feel satisfying in the moment, but clear code wins in the long run. Names matter. Structure matters. Comments that explain why matter more than comments that explain what.

And here’s the thing: most of the time, “the next person” is actually you, tired and confused, trying to remember what you were thinking. I have been there in my early days.

The best code reviews I’ve had are the ones where someone asks, “Why did you do it this way?” and I realize I don’t remember. So I’ve learned to leave breadcrumbs — good names, clear logic, and a comment or two for the weird edge cases.

If you want to be kind to your team (and yourself), write code that’s easy to read, not just easy to write.