The Trap of Building More

Being able to code can be a blessing and a curse as a maker. It's easy to fall into a trap of building more features when you should be working on other things.

Typically you're drawn to the kind of work you're most experienced with or enjoy the most. As a developer, you're used to solving problems with code. You fix bugs, refactor existing code, or add new features. You're getting stuff done but does it solve the most pressing needs of your project??

While working on Wave Radio I feel like I have to fight the instinct to work on new features. New features that are potentially great but at this point building a community is a lot more important. Many of those features I want to add won't get used without any users. Yet it's so much easier to write more code than figure out how to attract users.

I imagine it's the same for designers and marketers. Designers might have an urge to improve the UX and design rather than solve performance issues that are holding their product back. Marketers might spend more time growing a product that's still filled with bugs.

The trick seems to be in becoming a generalist and be willing to do whatever's necessary. You have to consciously put the things you enjoy doing aside at times to focus on what's most important.