Trying to understand a codebase shouldn’t feel like archaeology

Shubham Sharma — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 16:44:50 +0000

Ever opened a codebase and just gone: bro, what the hell is this?

Same here.

I’m a full-stack dev, and every time I jump into a new repo, I find myself trying to figure out “how does login work?” and end up asking:

Why are there 14 files called auth.go?
Why does this comment say one thing but the code clearly disagrees?
And why is every test called “happy path” when it’s clearly not?

IDE tools help a bit… but let’s be honest, most of the time it’s just:

Ctrl + F
A bunch of tabs
Vibes
And slowly losing your will to live

So yeah, I’m building something.

Not because I had a startup idea.

But because I was tired of asking the same damn questions in every codebase.

I'm working on a devtool that tries to:

Let you ask “how does X feature work?”
Show you a flow map (HLD/LLD-ish)
Pull out relevant API contracts, variable traces, and actual code paths
And maybe — just maybe — save you from clicking through 47 files to understand one button

It’s early. I'm just validating stuff right now, shaping an MVP solo.

No team. No VC. Just me, my terminal, and a Tally Form 😅

Want to help?

I put together a short 30-second survey.
(This isn’t clickbait — I know how devs feel about “just 30 sec” forms 😅).

If you’ve ever rage-scrolled through a codebase, this is for you:

👉 https://tally.so/r/mRed6P

You can also drop your email if you want early access when it’s ready — no spam, no pitch decks.

Would love to hear what you do when you get dropped into a new codebase.

Do you read every file? Ask a teammate? Cry?

Let me know in the comments 👇

DEV Community: Shubham Sharma

Trying to understand a codebase shouldn’t feel like archaeology

So yeah, I’m building something.

Want to help?