What You Need to Define Before You Start Coding (And What You Don’t)
Tired of Having a Pile of Abandoned Projects? Getting Lost in Unnecessary Details?
Starting a new project is exciting, but if you jump into coding without the right foundation, you can quickly get stuck, rewrite code endlessly, or abandon the project altogether.
Conversely, over-planning can lead to analysis paralysis, where nothing gets built.
This article breaks down what you actually need to define before you start coding and what you can figure out later. The goal is to help you move fast while avoiding major roadblocks.
“The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”?—?Mark?Twain
What You Absolutely Need to Define Before?Coding
1. The Problem You’re?Solving
Before touching a single line of code, you need crystal clarity on why you’re building this project. Ask yourself:
Example: “A doctor spends too much time manually transcribing patient notes. My app will automate this with AI-powered transcription.”
2. Jobs to Be Done (Core Use?Cases)
Define what the user will actually do in your app. You don’t need a detailed spec yet, but you must know the core workflows. Ask yourself:
Example: A doctor needs to:
3. Page Structure (Basic Wireframes)
You don’t need a full UI design yet, but you must outline:
Example:
Creating simple wireframes (even hand-drawn) prevents you from coding blindly.
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4. User Interactions & UX Decisions
Thinking through how users interact with your app will save you from massive refactors later. Ask:
Example: If a doctor deletes a transcript by mistake, is there an undo option?
5. Technical Feasibility Check
Before coding, verify that your idea is actually buildable with available tech.
Example: If your app relies on AI, test an API like OpenAI’s Whisper before committing to the whole project.
What You Don’t Need Before?Coding
How to Execute Without Getting?Stuck
1. Timebox Your Decisions
If you get stuck deciding on UI, structure, or tech, set a timer for 10 minutes and make a decision.
2. Force Small?Wins
If you struggle with long projects, break them into tiny deliverables you can finish in one sitting. Each win builds momentum.
3. Don’t Start Unless You Can Finish
If you start coding a new project, push until it’s at least usable before switching to something else.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever started a project and abandoned it halfway, chances are you didn’t define the right things before coding.?
The key is to plan just enough so you don’t get lost but not so much that you never start.
Focus on defining the problem, core use cases, page structure, UX, and technical feasibility.
Leave everything else for later.?
Thanks,
Matija
Digital change agent researching incentive alignment | 20 years of results | 6 products | 1 book | AWS
4 周Great article, short & practical! Deserves more exposure!