Programming · by Élodie Favre · 2026-09-05

A beginner mistake I am weirdly glad I made before coffee

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 6 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.

I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the prototype for a while.

59 sparks · 19 comments

Comments

Valentina Ruiz · 28 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I noticed the same thing in Dublin.

Pixel Atlas · 17 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? It sounds small, but the prototype matters.

Hugo Sánchez · 8 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink before. I would write it down before changing anything else.

Rizky Pratama · 8 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.

Miguel Santos · 1 likes

@urban_rizky That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines.

Jasmine Cruz · 1 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating.

Bilal Raza · 4 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse.

Bianca Santos · 3 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated.

Benjamín Rojas · 0 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn.

Cian Kelly · 1 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet.

Lina Keller · 4 likes

This reminds me of something a friend in Dublin mentioned. The useful part is easy to underestimate.

Rizky Pratama · 1 likes

That is a much better way to say it.

Ayesha Khan · 4 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 9 months. The the kitchen detail changes the whole answer.

Aarav Sharma · 3 likes

Useful intention, poor execution. A little friction removed goes a long way.

Curious Orbit · 2 likes

Big fan of this approach.

Gentle Baker · 1 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 3 months. My only addition is to make the first step visible. A small test case would make this easier to trust.

Valeria López · 6 likes

I like this more than the top-level advice.

Nusrat Akter · 1 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. The practical constraint is probably the real story.

Noah Miller · 0 likes

Big fan of this approach. I learned that one the expensive way.