We live in a world where most answers are just a few clicks away. On the one hand, this is awesome! Internet and technology have made information available globally, enabling us to learn from the experiences, mistakes and insights of others, allowing us to progress together that much faster. But on the flip side, we have also become used to instant answers.

So often, especially in the software profession, I see developers wanting to know the final solution directly – they just want to get things to work. It has become rarer to find someone willing to go through the learning process of figuring out something on his/her own. And this is important because the journey to that answer can teach us like nothing else can. You can take the example of any of the greats in your field to appreciate that fact.

Now, I am not advocating spending time figuring out all our problems from scratch or reinventing the wheel – that would be inefficient. But where it is a question of fundamentals or a subject that you wish to study deeper and become an authority on, attempt to resolve the issue yourself using the resources available. Even if you find the solution online, spend the time to understand why and how it works.

My deepest insights in my current line of work have come during my days-long trial-and-error methods to understand a core concept. I still Googled for answers but when I found it, I took it apart to understand why it worked, even if it took me a couple of extra days (or weeks). My rule-of-thumb is asking myself “Can I now explain this to someone else and answer his/her questions without uncertainty?”

I didn’t happen on this observation initially. It has taken me more than two years in the professional world to recognize this and even begin to implement it. But it is crucial that we take that first step to move away from instant answers. Start with the next problem you encounter. Trust me, it will be time well spent.