As a developer, my most important tools are a pen and a notebook : Juha-Matti Santala

After I signed my contract to join my new job a month ago, I was so excited.
Not only that I would join the company but also because I got to buy a new
notebook. The weekend before my first day I headed to the local bookstore and
spent a good amount of time browsing through the notebooks available and ended
up with this happy orange one.

Why am I so excited about a notebook then?

Because it’s the most important tool I have as a software developer.

When it comes to building software or solving problems, writing code is the
necessary bit at the end where we tell the computer what to do but way more
important than writing that code is figuring out what code to write.

I learned very early on in my career that I’m not very good at thinking when
I’m at a computer. When I have my code editor open, I’m in a “function mode”
where I write stuff that does something. When my brain hits that mode, there’s
not much creative energies flowing around.

So I often step away from the computer. Sometimes it’s for walks (I tend to
work at companies near water features so I’ve used to go for strolls near San
Francisco Bay, Spree or the best of them all, Aurajoki) but often I take my
notebook and sit on a couch or outside at the patio and ponder.

I might be thinking of initial solutions to new problems (ie. designing how to
approach it, drawing UI sketches or flowcharts) or I’m helping myself
understand the flow of data and interactions in the current code base to
figure out how to fix a bug or add new functionality.

Writing (and sketching) is such a powerful tool for thinking in that. It helps
me turn my vague abstract ideas into tangible artefacts through words and
drawings. It helps me expose the gaps in my knowledge or understanding because
I can’t skip them as easily when writing as I can when just thinking about
them.

When I’ve written code, I like to write about it as if I would be explaining
it to someone else. Whenever possible, I like to publish them as blog posts as
well but even when it’s not possible, writing it that way helps me find
inconsistencies, bad designs and even mistakes in my code. I’ve written about
how writing is my favourite refactoring tool.

A lovely side benefit of thinking through writing is that it leaves behind a
copy of my thoughts and the process of how I reached them. I don’t have to
separately go and write notes because my thinking process already created most
of them and I usually just reorganise and polish them a bit to make them more
useful in the future as well.

That way, if someone asks what I was thinking about when I did X two weeks,
six months or two years ago, I can go back to my notes and tell them exactly
that. (Spoilers: quite often that someone is me in the future.)

I also have a longer post about
how I take work notes as a developer
that focuses more on the content of my notes.

Keep your files stored safely and securely with the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD. With over 69,505 ratings and an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, this product has been purchased over 8K+ times in the past month. At only $129.99, this Amazon’s Choice product is a must-have for secure file storage.

Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Order now for just $129.99 on Amazon!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!