Beyond Bricklaying: Building Better with Borrowed Code

As the new flock of soon-to-be-minted developers finishes up their senior year, I have a bit of advice for you. When fresh out of college, the coding world throws you recent graduates a curveball. Gone are the days of solo projects and individualistic solutions. Now, you're part of a team, tackling real-world problems with efficiency as the key metric. This can be jarring, especially with that nagging voice from academia whispering, "Copying is bad!" But here's the truth: for 99% of development challenges, the wheel has already been invented. Your job isn't to reinvent it; it's to build a skyscraper with the best tools available.

Let's be real: writing code from scratch for every tiny task is inefficient and often unnecessary. We have StackOverflow, a treasure trove of solutions, and now even AI assistants like ChatGPT are offering code generation. Why spend hours reinventing a string reversal function when it's readily available at your fingertips? Think of it this way: your goal is to construct a majestic skyscraper, not forge every hammer and nail yourself.

Here's why "borrowing" (not copying!) is smart:

1. Faster Development: Leaning on existing solutions saves you precious time and energy. Focus on understanding the core problem, integrating components, and building something truly unique.
2. Reduced Errors: The tried-and-tested code has likely been through the wringer already. By using established solutions, you minimize the risk of introducing bugs and security vulnerabilities.
3. Community Learning: By leveraging existing code, you tap into the collective knowledge and experience of the developer community. This fosters learning and improves your understanding of best practices.
4. Innovation Through Combination: Borrowing doesn't mean blind copying. The magic lies in creatively combining existing solutions to address unique challenges. This is where your individual ingenuity shines!

But remember, borrowing responsibly is key. Here are some guidelines:

• Understand what you're using: Don't just copy-paste blindly. Grasp the code's functionality and potential implications.
• Attribute properly: Give credit where credit is due! Cite sources and respect intellectual property. Also, pay attention to those tricky licensing bits for libraries (know GPL vs. BSD vs. MIT).
• Adapt and improve: Don't settle for mediocrity. Use existing solutions as a springboard to personalize and enhance them.

The coding world is a collaborative ecosystem. Don't be afraid to stand on the shoulders of giants. Utilize the vast resources available, learn from existing solutions, and focus your energy on creating innovative combinations. Remember, you're building a magnificent skyscraper, not reinventing the humble hammer and nails. So, go forth, borrow wisely, and build something amazing!

QUESTION: When was the first time you "borrowed" code to help increase your team's sprint velocity?