Working code isn’t proof of understanding.
It’s often just proof of trial and error.
Real understanding shows up when you can:
explain why this solution exists
describe trade-offs without hand-waving
predict where it will fail
That’s why great engineers write:
clear comments
simple functions
obvious interfaces
Not for others — for themselves in six months.
If your explanation is messy, your thinking probably is too.
Clarity in code starts with clarity in thought.
– Serguey Asael Shinder
Top comments (2)
True, this is the first step toward expertise: deep understanding. We should distinguish between a Computer Architect, who masters every part of their code to create new solutions, and a Simple Programmer, who might only care about completing the task without needing to know what’s under the hood.
Please say that you wrote that and not AI :D
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.