LearnRevitAPI

The Most Important Skill for Programmers (Hint: It's Not Coding)

Jan 10, 2025

Who are programmers?

I think there is a misunderstanding about programmers.

Programmers are NOT people who just write code. It's like saying Revit is BIM...

Programmers are problem solvers first. Code is just a tool they use to solve problems at scale. It's like a wrench for a plumber or a hammer for a carpenter.

What makes us special is the ability to take a big, messy, chaotic problems and break them down into simple to follow instructions with logical steps written as a code.

That's what programmer's job is all about.

Why is it important?

You need to understand that by becoming a programmer you become a better problem solver. Not just with code, but in general. It will help you look at any problem differently.

You pick up what's called a computational thinking. What's that?

Computational thinking is a way of solving problems that’s all about breaking big problem into smaller, manageable steps, spotting patterns and creating a step by step solution plan.

This is a very simple, but incredibly important concept.

Meaning of Exact Instructions

Computers won't work for you by themselves.

Instead, they follow an exact written instruction plan. And programmer's job is to think about all the possible problems, and create an exact instruction plan for computer to follow.

Otherwise, errors, bugs, crashes or even worse things can happen...

And when I talk about Exact instructions, I really mean it.

There is an amazing example where a dad decided to make an Exact Instructions Challenge with his kids. It's hilarious and it is the best way to understand why it's important and what can happen when your code is not exact enough.

Watch it here, you won't regret it:

Imagine that dad is a computer, and you are being a kid who is writing instructions to solve a simple problem - Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich🥪.

Do you think you can do it?

Can you write Exact Instructions?

Do you think that you can make an exact plan for Making a Peanut Butter Sandwich (or any other sandwich)?

It sounds simple, but I bet that 90+% of you will fail on the first try. And yes, I understand that you have a fancy diploma behind you on the wall. That's not the point.

Try it now as an experiment, it takes less than a minute.
Come up with an exact instruction plan for creating a peanut butter sandwich.

No code. Just think logically what steps you need to do to solve this 'big' problem. Write them on a paper if you want to.

Got it?

Alright, now watch the video mentioned above and compare your plan to plans written by kids.

I guarantee that you will have an "aha-moment" that will stay with you for your whole life.