DEV Community

Cover image for Learn to recognise the important bits
Antonio Radovcic
Antonio Radovcic

Posted on

1 2

Learn to recognise the important bits

The most useful thing I learned in Uni was to tell the important from the trivial.

I studied Design. The professor who oversaw my interaction-design-projects was ruthless about calling out fake progress on my presentations.
The shiny, fashionable, trivial, yak-shaving, turd-polishing parts.
Everything that didn't further or reinforce the core ideas.

The reason was simple:
If the core ideas and content aren't good on their own, no amount of sugarcoating will make them good. So don't waste time on paint until the house is standing.

Yak-shaving is dangerous, because it creates the illusion of progress. Keep it for when you answered the hard questions.

Of course it's important to have a good looking poster, but the people are not attending your show if you can't dance.

Next time you're working on a project, ask yourself whether you already solved the important bits.

Do your career a big favor. Join DEV. (The website you're on right now)

It takes one minute, it's free, and is worth it for your career.

Get started

Community matters

Top comments (0)

👋 Kindness is contagious

Dive into an ocean of knowledge with this thought-provoking post, revered deeply within the supportive DEV Community. Developers of all levels are welcome to join and enhance our collective intelligence.

Saying a simple "thank you" can brighten someone's day. Share your gratitude in the comments below!

On DEV, sharing ideas eases our path and fortifies our community connections. Found this helpful? Sending a quick thanks to the author can be profoundly valued.

Okay