
What I learnt from talking to users before writing code - aliakhtar
When I&#x27;m working on a project for myself, I tend to code in stealth mode, and don&#x27;t talk to anyone or show it to anyone, until its 100% perfect and complete. This time, I, accidentally got myself to talk to users first.<p>My current project is a tool to help developers overcome procrastination. (Yes, I struggle with this, a lot)<p>Basically, just like Google Maps gives you a series of steps (turn right &#x2F; turn left) until you get to your destination, I want something that breaks up my big tasks (e.g Add Stripe integration) to a bunch of tiny steps (Read docs, add Stripe.js....). And calculates the best way to get me to actually do the tasks (do I need a lot of breaks, do I just need to sit and code for 2 hours, etc).<p>But, while I could build this for other backend devs like myself, what about everyone else? I had to talk to other devs.<p>I put out an offer to do free, 1-on-1 audio calls to coach devs struggling w&#x2F; procrastination. Many people responded, and I&#x27;ve done several, deep convos with brilliant,  struggling people. The insights I&#x27;ve learnt have blown my mind, and so many of them are actionable, e.g<p>- What kinds of things cause procrastination. (Perfectionism, complexity (e.g a lot of rules), boredom (e.g recoding a feature you already finished))<p>- How much of a problem procrastination is in their life. (The consensus seems to be, my life would be radically different and better if I didn&#x27;t procrastinate)<p>- Some even shared screenshots of their todos &#x2F; trello. Really valuable, and directly related to my project.<p>I can&#x27;t recommend doing user interviews before building highly enough. This is going to be my strategy for all projects going forward.<p>P.S I&#x27;m still taking calls to help developers overcome procrastination. I&#x27;ve learnt how severely this can impact a developer&#x27;s life. If this applies to you, you don&#x27;t have to keep struggling.<p>Book a free coaching call: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;calendly.com&#x2F;aliakhtar&#x2F;60min
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aliakhtar
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