The Hidden Truth: Quality Issues Are Often Just Quantity Problems

As a software engineer with nine years of experience, I've had the privilege of working with some truly exceptional developers. These colleagues have mastered the art of coding and consistently deliver high-quality software. However, I've also seen many others remain average and unremarkable. This disparity intrigued me, and I set out to understand the underlying reason.

A Simple Concept

After observing and analyzing my experiences, I discovered that the key difference often boiled down to a very simple concept: quantity. More specifically, the amount of practice, iterations, and exposure these experts had compared to their average counterparts. It wasn’t necessarily about innate talent or intelligence; it was about the sheer volume of work they put in.

Quantity: The Key to Quality

What we often think of as quality problems are actually quantity problems. It's usually just a matter of not having enough, sometimes by several orders of magnitude. Let me explain with a few examples:

1. Iteration and Improvement: In my early years, I was part of an Android application development team. I noticed that the best developer in our team, who later became one of my best friends and mentors, constantly iterated on his work. The Android ecosystem is continually evolving, and every time Google introduced new features, he would enthusiastically go through all of them and pick a few to apply in our application. He never settled for the first solution; instead, he would write, test, refactor, and improve his code multiple times, always incorporating the latest technology. It was this relentless cycle of iteration that honed his skills and led to higher quality outcomes.As a result, he grew faster than any other engineer I knew and eventually joined VIVO, one of China’s largest smartphone brand.

2. Exposure to Challenges: The more projects and diverse problems a developer tackled, the better they became. Those who sought out additional projects, participated in hackathons, or contributed to open-source projects accumulated a wealth of experience. This varied exposure enabled them to approach problems from multiple angles and devise more effective solutions.

3. Feedback and Learning: Developers who actively sought feedback and learned from their mistakes improved rapidly. In contrast, those who did the bare minimum and avoided critique stagnated. Regular code reviews, pair programming sessions, and mentorship were invaluable in accelerating their growth.

Misconception: Quantity vs. Quality

The biggest misconception is thinking a quantity problem is a quality problem. This leads to the false hope that we can achieve our goals with clever tricks or cutting corners instead of increasing quantity.That's when pseudoscience, superstition, and unnecessary complaints start to appear. Many think that producing a large volume of work means sacrificing quality. However, my experience has shown that the opposite is often true.

When I started picking up my English, I noticed Ruri Ohama, a successful English learner on YouTube. In her video "How I learned English by myself for free without studying" Ruri describes how she mastered English through consistent practice and exposure. She watched English movies, listened to music, and engaged in conversations with native speakers. This relentless practice and immersion significantly improved her fluency and the quality of her language skills. Ruri’s experience shows that the more you immerse yourself in an activity, the better you become at it.

Another example is my favorite author, Keigo Higashino. Known for his captivating mystery novels, Higashino writes every day. This disciplined approach has produced a prolific body of high-quality work. His consistent writing practice allows him to explore new ideas and refine his storytelling techniques. Higashino’s daily writing habit demonstrates that the more you practice, the better you get, and the higher the quality of your output.

Conclusion

Quantity is the key to quality. Most quality issues boil down to not having enough of something on a smaller scale. Understanding that can really change the way we approach learning anything. Instead of getting frustrated or anxious when you don’t meet your goals right away, remember that it often just takes more practice. Think about how Ruri Ohama improved her English by immersing herself in it every day, or how Keigo Higashino writes daily to hone his craft.

So, next time you feel like giving up, just remember that sometimes, it’s simply a matter of putting in more reps. Keep at it, and the quality will come.