Crowning Achievement: Software Development Solutions That Work With Speed and Reasonability

Speed and reasonability are the cornerstones of crafting effective and impactful software development solutions. Speed enables teams to build trusted and effective solutions and stay competitive in fast-paced industries. Reasonability ensures that the code is easily maintained, scalable, and aligned with the company’s long-term strategy. When these two rule together, it creates an environment where software not only meets the needs of the business, but also lasts longer, reduces technical debt, and fosters innovation. This article explores why these two timeless approaches to delivering app development are essential for achieving sustainable success.

The Keys to the App Kingdom

Before gathering requirements or designing workflows, we first focus on the fundamentals. These two basic concepts are non-negotiable requirements and the keys to successful software development.

1. The software has to work.
2. The software has to work when you want it to.

If an application fails to deliver functionality within an expected timeframe, it might as well not work at all. Imagine a real-time delivery app that sporadically skips notifications. Trust breaks down, and soon you’re manually checking the front door for packages—or worse, you find melted ice cream on the porch because your “real-time” app failed you. The lesson? Functionality and timely delivery are inseparable and essential.

Speed: The King of Software

Ensuring software operates promptly is just as crucial as ensuring it functions properly. The software solution has to be fast enough to meet the business requirements. Software that operates too slowly for its intended purpose effectively doesn’t operate at all.

One way to evaluate efficiency and performance is by using one of the first computer science concepts encountered by most programmers- Big O Notation. It is a mathematical tool that describes the worst-case efficiency for an algorithm. With Big O Notation, we can rank an algorithm against other alternatives in terms of efficiency - and, therefore, execution time.   

While this article won’t go into detail explaining how to calculate Big O notation, it is an easy skill to learn with a great reference at https://www.bigocheatsheet.com/. When creating a software development solution, you should have Big O in the back of your mind, as it will help you avoid pitfalls and guide you toward a better solution. If your solution meets performance requirements within a reasonable timeframe, chasing theoretical perfection might be unnecessary. Remember: it’s better to have something functional now than a “perfect” solution that misses the deadline.

Reasonability: The Queen of Software

If speed is the King, reasonability is the Queen. Reasonable code is code that is easy to read, understand, and maintain—no matter who wrote it or when. Even if you’re the only developer on your team, you’ll be glad you prioritized clarity.

Let’s consider a scenario we’ve all faced. A production bug surfaces, and you dive into the code only to find an indecipherable mess. To your horror, you realize—you wrote it. Seventeen months ago. Now, instead of fixing the bug efficiently, you’re stuck deciphering your chaotic thought process from months ago.

Had you originally created reasonable code and prioritized clarity, this problem would have been an easy fix. Luckily, there are several quick wins to make our code more reasonable.

Tip No. 1: Use descriptive names.

Use descriptive function and variable names that make things obvious. Avoid cryptic variable or function names. Let names tell a story.

Tip No. 2: Comment with purpose.

Use comments to explain why, not how, things are being done.

Tip No. 3: Keep related functions together.

Keep functions that interact with each other near each other when possible. Let proximity reinforce logical connections.

Tip No. 4: Use pure functions.

Use pure functions to reduce side effects and make testing easier.

Tip No. 5: Exit early.

Simplify control flow and avoid excessive nesting. Exit early from functions to avoid deep nesting faster and more efficiently.

Reasonable code reduces cognitive load, minimizes bugs, and streamlines debugging. By prioritizing readability, we create a foundation that enables future optimization. All of these practices will reduce bugs and time spent debugging or refactoring the code in the future.

Speed and Reasonability: A Royal Pair

In software development, speed ensures your solution meets business expectations, while reasonability ensures maintainability and clarity for years to come. Together, they form a royal pair — a powerful strategy for software development. As the legendary American Software Engineer Kent Beck said: “Make it work. Make it right. Make it fast.”

Prioritize these principles, and you’ll build functional, transformative, optimized software that can continue to be refined as your business grows.

Snow Fox Data offers an integrated approach to software development that eliminates the challenges that come from working with multiple vendors, non-integrated systems, and inefficiencies from translating analysis across platforms. Learn more about our flexible ongoing support, scalable design and architect solutions, full-stack developers, and quality assurance by visiting our data solutions page.

| FEATURED AUTHOR: SAMUAL THORSON, SOFTWARE ENGINEER