Efficient Coding 2026 Part 3: Why Better Programmers Care About Philosophy and Empathy

Part 3: The Holistic Programmer

Welcome to the final installment of my three-part series on becoming a more efficient programmer. Whether you are a veteran dev or a new graduate, these are the principles that have fundamentally changed how I work.

In Part 1 and Part 2, we focused on the technical habits of deep work and health. Today, we’re looking at the big picture: architecture, mindset, and the 'human' side of engineering.

1. Break Things Up (Death to the Monolith)

My first tip is technical but critical: Break things up into microservices. When you maintain a monolithic architecture, the system becomes complex far too quickly. With too many moving parts talking to each other, it becomes impossible to hold the entire system in your head. By separating code into small chunks, you can cognitively focus on one specific problem at a time. If it takes longer than two weeks to build, it’s probably too big, break it apart.

2. Obsess Over the Detail

Whatever you are building, do it thoroughly. Take the extra time to map out the workflow and think through the edge cases before you write a single line of code.

At Superthread, we believe that relentless attention to detail is what separates 'good' software from 'delightful' software. That extra 10% of effort at the start prevents 90% of the debugging pain down the line.

3. Cultivate Outside Interests

Don't just be a programmer. Be interested in philosophy, history, or art. Have a hobby.

I’ve always been inspired by how car companies, specifically Toyota under Taiichi Ohno, mastered reliability and efficiency. Inspiration for a better code review process or a more efficient database cache can come from anywhere. A well-rounded brain is a more creative problem-solving brain.

4. Practice Radical Empathy

I have worked in many places where there is deep distrust between developers, product managers, and designers.

Be empathetic. Understand that the PM is trying to balance the business needs, and the designer is trying to protect the user experience. When you approach a project as a unified team rather than opposing factions, the product is always more successful.

5. Just Be Nice

It sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked in high-pressure tech environments. I’ve seen teams where people are dismissive or unkind to one another, and it always poisons the product. If a team has high trust and genuine kindness, they ship better code. Period.

Conclusion of the Series

This concludes my three-part series on programming efficiency. I hope these tips on sleep, architecture, and empathy help you as much as they have helped me build Superthread.

I’d love to hear from you: What is one 'non-coding' hobby that has actually made you a better developer?

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Catch up on the series:

• Part 1: Deep Work and the Pomodoro Technique for Devs.

• Part 2: 10 Sleep Tips to Keep Your Brain Sharp.