What is it to think like a coder?
It means to break problems into bite-sized challenges, analyze the big picture, and optimize processes. This mindset was a big asset at my call-in cleaning job.
They were short-staffed, so I had to quickly learn their methods and try to be as efficient as possible…
But I hit a snag — a giant maze-like building.
I got lost so many times that first night. 🤣
I expected wings - so I could work my way down one hall of offices - but one ‘wing’ turned out to be a circle!
I needed to see the big picture, so the next time driving past I did a scan:
Okay, there are two wings like I thought.
One isn’t perpendicular but more north-west angled — which probably explains the confusion I felt inside.
The back ‘wing’ looks much wider — interesting. 🤔
I matched that with what I’d seen inside and realized I was right about the two wings. But that “back wing” wasn’t a third hallway — it was actually a large interior office surrounded by other offices.
Here’s how my coding-brain helped:
I identified the exact point where I got lost.
I gathered more data by observing the exterior layout.
I broke the building into distinct sections and mapped them mentally, almost like organizing components in a system.
That’s how I un-lost myself.
Coding gives us a new approach to our everyday problems — even when we can’t type out a program, we still use those skills to troubleshoot.
