Common Cognitive Biases That May Affect Us As Developers

As developers, we need to think straight to create solid, clean code. But hey, we're all human, and sometimes our brains make errors that can muddle up our decisions. Scientists call these errors cognitive biases. They can lead us down the wrong path, but they're actually part of how our brains handle the crazy amount of information we get all the time. Without these biases, it would be super tough to process everything logically.

Still, it's important to keep these biases in check, as they can twist our view of reality and lead to not-so-great decisions. So, I thought I'd share some common biases that we, as developers, can bump into:

1. Confirmation Bias: We might lean towards solutions or tech that fit with what we already know or believe. This can stop us from picking up something that could be even better.

2. Anchoring Bias: We sometimes stick too much to the first piece of info we get (the "anchor") when we're making decisions. For instance, we might guess how complex a task is based on something similar we've done before, even if it's not really the same thing.

3. Dunning-Kruger Effect: If we're not that experienced, we might think we're better at coding than we really are. This can make us too confident and cause mistakes.

4. Survivorship Bias: We might only focus on the projects or tech that did well and ignore the ones that flopped. This can make us too optimistic about how likely something is to succeed.

5. Not Invented Here (NIH) Syndrome: Sometimes we might dismiss solutions made by others and end up making new tools or frameworks when we could just use what's already there.

6. Recency Bias: We might pay too much attention to things that happened recently, like a bug we just ran into. This could skew our view of how reliable a project or tech really is.

So there you have it, folks – a quick rundown of some of the mental trip-ups we might face as developers. It's essential to remember that we're all susceptible to these biases, no matter how skilled or experienced we are. By being aware of them, we can work smarter, make better decisions, and create code that really shines. Keep coding, stay aware, and let's build great stuff together!