With #productivitytok garnering more than 160 million views on TikTok, it seems like everyone is pitching their so-called perfect productivity hacks for nearly every aspect of personal and professional life.
For engineers and developers — who spend their days tackling complex technical problems and navigating context switching — no one knows the unique path to productivity quite like the talented technologists actively working in the field.
In pursuit of delivering high-quality code, engineers and developers from four New York companies — Grow Therapy, EliseAI, adMarketplace and Trumid — have learned the importance of collaborating with peers, prioritizing tasks and minimizing distractions. They urged new engineers to break out of isolated work siloes, ask for help from team members when needed and set aside time for critical reflection.
With recent advancements in artificial intelligence, many engineers are also increasingly embracing AI-powered tools as a means of maximizing productivity.
“Don’t hesitate to use GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Stack Overflow or anything else that makes your life easier,” said Zachary Gottschall, an engineering lead at EliseAI. “If it saves time, it’s a winner in my book.”
The featured engineers and developers connected with Built In New York to share these tips and more on unlocking exceptional problem-solving skills and preserving fruitful flow states.
Ashley Davies, Software Developer, Trumid
Fintech company Trumid brings technology and product design to corporate bond trading.
What is the top productivity tip that has improved your ability to deliver high-quality code?
One of the biggest tips I swear by for productivity is taking the time to learn the necessary tools and processes upfront, which helps to streamline projects, reduce costs and move through the day more efficiently. It’s not an uncommon sight to see people fighting against their tooling, particularly for version control. Some of the challenges that engineers encounter are artificially harder to solve because of a lack of understanding around the underlying tooling, causing them to unknowingly swim against the tide and resulting in lost productivity.
I was drawn to the fintech space because of its fast-paced environment, energy and the constant innovation happening at every corner. However, with complex projects and tight deadlines, it can often feel like there isn’t enough time to learn the more intricate parts of, say, git, your shell or your favorite text editor. When you pause and take the time to do this, it pays dividends.
At Trumid, everyone is encouraged to learn and develop their skill sets because it isn’t just about getting things done, but getting them done right. This attitude and approach help me stay on track and maximize my productivity.
One tip is setting up clear boundaries around where and when you work, which helps tune out life’s distractions.
What are some mistakes that you see newer engineers making when it comes to productivity?
We tend to overestimate how good our long-term memory will be. One of the easiest and most beneficial changes to make is learning to ignore that impulse of simply cranking out code. Instead, take the time to document everything that is important to remember.
When making an engineering decision, note the “why” behind the decision and be sure to link your code to relevant sources. That way, when someone comes back to the code, it will be easy for them to follow and track back through your thought process, which saves valuable time.
How do you minimize distractions and deal with the friction of context switching?
One of the best things I did when I started working from home full-time was creating a dedicated office space. This has done wonders for my ability to focus, and I can get a lot more done in a shorter time. There is always a balance with remote work, but one tip is setting up clear boundaries around where and when you work, which helps tune out life’s distractions much more easily than when one is in their usual living space.
That said, not all distractions are from home life. The most productive work is done in a flow state, and for most of us, that’s easily disrupted and hard to slip back into. Creating a disciplined approach around how you prioritize work and minimizing context switching where possible are the most valuable skills for ensuring you make the most of that time.
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