How to start problem solving skills in programming
If you’re interested in programming, you may well have seen this quote before:
“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you to think.” — Steve Jobs
You probably also wondered what does it mean, exactly, to think like a programmer? And how do you do it??
Essentially, it’s all about a more effective way of problem-solving.
In this post, my goal is to teach you that way.
By the end of it, you’ll know exactly what steps to take to be a better problem-solver.
Why is this important?
Problem-solving is the meta-skill.
We all have problems. Big and small. How we deal with them is sometimes, well…pretty random.
Unless you have a system, this is probably how you “solve” problems (which is what I did when I started coding):
- Try a solution.
- If that doesn’t work, try another one.
- If that doesn’t work, repeat step 2 until you luck out.
Look, sometimes you luck out. But that is the worst way to solve problems! And it’s a huge, huge waste of time.
The best way involves a) having a framework and b) practicing it.
“Almost all employers prioritize problem-solving skills first.
Problem-solving skills are almost unanimously the most important qualification that employers look for….more than programming languages proficiency, debugging, and system design.
Demonstrating computational thinking or the ability to break down large, complex problems is just as valuable (if not more so) than the baseline technical skills required for a job.” — Hacker Rank (2018 Developer Skills Report)
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