Technical Decision Making vs Gut Feel Approach

Developers should learn Technical Decision Making to avoid costly mistakes, reduce technical debt, and improve project outcomes by choosing appropriate technologies and architectures meets developers should learn this approach for scenarios requiring rapid iteration, such as hackathons, early-stage startups, or brainstorming sessions where speed trumps precision. Here's our take.

Technical Decision Making

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Technical Decision Making to avoid costly mistakes, reduce technical debt, and improve project outcomes by choosing appropriate technologies and architectures

Pros

• It is crucial in scenarios like selecting a new framework for a web application, deciding on a database for scalability needs, or adopting DevOps tools to streamline workflows
• Related to: system-design, risk-assessment

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Gut Feel Approach

Developers should learn this approach for scenarios requiring rapid iteration, such as hackathons, early-stage startups, or brainstorming sessions where speed trumps precision

Pros

• It's useful when data is scarce, problems are ill-defined, or when fostering innovation through intuitive leaps, but it should be balanced with data-driven methods for critical decisions to avoid biases and errors
• Related to: agile-methodology, design-thinking

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Technical Decision Making if: You want it is crucial in scenarios like selecting a new framework for a web application, deciding on a database for scalability needs, or adopting devops tools to streamline workflows and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Gut Feel Approach if: You prioritize it's useful when data is scarce, problems are ill-defined, or when fostering innovation through intuitive leaps, but it should be balanced with data-driven methods for critical decisions to avoid biases and errors over what Technical Decision Making offers.

The Bottom Line

Technical Decision Making wins

Developers should learn Technical Decision Making to avoid costly mistakes, reduce technical debt, and improve project outcomes by choosing appropriate technologies and architectures