5 Ways First Principles Thinking Helps You Code Better

In this video, I'll cover 5 ways first principles thinking has helped me become a better software developer. These fundamental principles are game-changers, and by the end of this video, you’ll know exactly how to apply them to improve your coding skills.
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👀 Code reviewers:
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🎥 Video edited by Mark Bacskai: / bacskaimark
🔖 Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:50 Identify and Define the Fundamental Truths
3:18 Break Down Problems to Their Core
4:51 Reassemble Elements Innovatively
6:01 Validate Assumptions Regularly
7:21 Focus on Simplicity and Functionality
8:34 BONUS: Make Sure You Learn Continuously
9:32 Outro
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[@ArjanCodes]

👷 Join the FREE Code Diagnosis Workshop to help you review code more effectively using my 3-Factor Diagnosis Framework: www.arjancodes.com/diagnosis

[@manomancan]

Love your channel so much, man! Definitely pushing me to be a much better (self-taught) engineer; I even find my own code easier to read! Could I ask for basic intros to mathematical theory and applications we need to know as well, please? There doesn't seem to be a middle ground in online learning communities: Either they are very theoretical and almost university-courses-like, or mathematical issues are completely skimmed over. For example, I'd love to start with algorithmic complexity analysis in real life situations. As an example, how would you, if you were the newly appointed CTO of a new company that just received funding, approach optimising their code base for speed and the quality of their main algorithms? Thanks as always, Arjan!

[@virtualraider]

You have an outstanding series of coding pattern videos 🔥 The comment about not thinking what pattern to use but instead think what kind of problem is it made me think that you could add a companion video form that perspective 😃

[@MicheleHjorleifsson]

I like these types of videos, its like chatting with a peer about process and techniques

[@ArjanCodes]

I'm glad you enjoyed the content, Michele!

[@Micah20001]

i loved videos about datetime and pathlib. I hope you will make more of them

[@Golgafrincham]

Really nice video in my opinion. These ideas can easily applied to much more than software development. :)

[@ArjanCodes]

Thank you for the kind words! I completely agree.

[@DistortedV12]

This is good advice for life too

[@DistortedV12]

This is one of the best videos, I've seen on this topic.

[@ArjanCodes]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@DevlogBill]

This is a really good video! One of your best... Quick question I am some what new but not really. Never had a real world job in programming but I've been making small CRUD applications on my own I think they call this dog fooding. Anyways, when should you unit test? I've never unit tested before. Do you unit test during your project? Or when the project is done? Also when do you know when you are ready to learn unit testing? When do you know when you are ready? Thank you!

[@agustinayala6438]

Excelent video! Sometimes you know the technical and the theoretical part but you get stuck when facing the actual problem.

[@ArjanCodes]

I'm happy you enjoyed the content!

[@NoProblem76]

I cant agree more with the type annotation part, sometimes type gymnastic is just way too crazy

[@btkb1427]

Rust is the ultimate when it comes to that haha

[@dragonfly-7]

Well, Arjan, that is some sort of redirecting back to the right path. I for my own can state that I heard of these principals several times. But applying them all the time is the challenge since one gets distracted by so many different things potentially finally running into "rabbit holes" (🐰). Therefore: Thank you for this reorientation/resyncronization/realignment ... 👍🙏

[@ArjanCodes]

I'm glad the video was helpful!

[@MattDeveloper]

Thanks for sharing! Please continue doing those videos ;)

[@ArjanCodes]

Glad you enjoy the content, Matt!

[@wa.6006]

uhhh your comment about the decorators thing. thanks a lot. i thought i was the only one that thinks that and some kind of a general feeling of missing out. THANKS!

[@ArjanCodes]

Glad you enjoyed the content!

[@flaviocampos9952]

great video! Got a new subscription

[@ArjanCodes]

Thank you for the support, Flavio!

[@NoProblem76]

Like first watch later 😂🎉❤❤❤

[@dominiquecoladon8343]

Great Video

[@ArjanCodes]

Thank you, Dominique!

[@rommellagera8543]

There are 3 I follow: 1. Assumptions must always be validated, or assume your assumptions are wrong unless tested correct. Also code are also assumptions unless tested in real scenarios. 2. We write code to solve customer's problem. I don't know why coders are obssesed with technology or methodology that most no longer focus on the problem. 3. The system as a whole is only as strong as it weakest point. We must test the system thoroughly and completely. Users don't care if your code passed unit test, they want the whole system to be correct not just parts of it.

[@wogvorph]

I hear about breaking problems to smaller pieces, but how to know what pieces? How's to know what to look for?

[@izzidin28]

please arjan make a video (or maybe tutorial) about "Mojo"

[@user-vh8bm3fw9w]

I'm first! Love your channel! Please, more stuff about deep learning!

[@AndrewBlucher]

The difficulty for many programmers is the tension between first principles and the currently fashionable library, technique, language.l

[@ronaldronald8819]

Gone think about these 5 First Principe Thinking Ways a bit more. Starting by watching this video again. Thanks for sharing Arjan.

[@ArjanCodes]

Glad you enjoyed the video, Ronald! :)

[@nevo408]

where did you get that shirt form??

[@ArjanCodes]

I think Zalando... but it's already quite old, so I'm not 100% sure, haha!

[@nevo408]

oh cool, might be my mistake, is that a `polars` shirt? @@ArjanCodes

[@ErikS-]

5:49 ... "capital city" = Amsterdam "political center" = The Hague "tech capital" = Eindhoven (+Veldhoven) 😉

[@maxbaugh9372]

One of my friends, who is a much stronger software engineer than I am, argues that if you find yourself dealing with type-hints too much then maybe Python isn't the right language for the task at hand

[@mrdebug6581]

a KISS for you 😂

[@sambroderick5156]

Nice t-shirt. Where did you get it?

[@redryan20000]

First Principles are in fact the opposite of thinking like a scientist. They do not follow logically from anything, nor do they follow empirically from any observations. You simply assert them, and all your philosophical framework follows.

[@overtime5883]

I cant be the only one who thinks this constant change of camera angles, zooming and random clip cut ins are just really annoying

[@ZeroRiskAppetite]

Protip: you can get by with just listening instead of watching the video.

[@vbaclasses3553]

You are more likely to find faults when you go looking for them.

[@dboydomr]

I don’t like them but I think it’s part of what keeps people engaged

[@dinoscheidt]

Well its to hide jump cuts. Very very hard to have one long continuous take - not everyone is Tom Scott

[@AndrewBlucher]

​@@vbaclasses3553It's called testing.

[@ighodarodaniel7018]

no offence mr arjan , most of your video you do , you hair always looks unkempt and you look trying, i kinda get scared most times like is this how becoming a software developer looks likes always getting tired, am just speaking my mind

[@coding9409]

Learn how not to write run on sentences.