You Can Code Like Us

Ever wonder what it's actually like to write code at a place like Cognithorz? Is it a dark room full of geniuses typing Matrix-style code onto a dozen monitors? Well, we have snacks and natural light, so not quite.

Step 1: The "Why" Before the "Write"

No one just starts coding. It always begins with a conversation. We huddle (in person or on Zoom) and whiteboard the problem. We ask dumb questions. We debate approaches. The goal is to get to a shared understanding of what we're building and why before a single key is pressed. This saves us from days of wasted effort.

Step 2: The Smallest Possible Step

We're big fans of building the simplest, dumbest version of a thing first. We call it the "walking skeleton." Can we get data from point A to point B? Can we show a single result on a screen? Once that works, we start adding flesh to the bones. This iterative approach means we're always learning and adapting, instead of building a complex monolith for months only to find out it's wrong.

Step 3: The Pull Request Party (It's a Review, But Party Sounds Better)

Code isn't done when it works on your machine. It's done when another engineer on the team has reviewed it. We create Pull Requests (PRs) for every change, no matter how small. This isn't a criticism session; it's a collaboration. It's where we catch bugs, share knowledge, and maintain code quality. Comments like "Could we make this function name clearer?" or "Have you considered this edge case?" are how we make each other better.

Step 4: The Safety Net (a.k.a. Tests)

We write tests. Not because we're forced to, but because they give us the confidence to move fast without breaking things. Knowing that a suite of tests will catch most regressions means we can refactor and improve code fearlessly. It's our safety net.