How to become more effective, not more efficient

Learn to optimize for for what truly matters

In the software world, we’re often encouraged to chase efficiency. We optimize code, fine-tune algorithms, and stretch resources in pursuit of scalability. It’s foundational to what we do.

But here’s the twist: this constant drive for efficiency can quietly undermine our actual impact. You can be incredibly efficient… at doing things that don’t really matter.

I’ve written before about statistical vs. clinical significance. The short version? Not everything that looks good on paper actually moves the needle in practice.

Efficiency is about how we do something, maximizing productivity and minimizing waste. Effectiveness is about what we do, and more importantly, what outcome it leads to. Results. Impact. Shipping value.

To put it plainly: the outcome is what counts most. Everything else is just noise that looks productive.

---

A common trap

Many engineers (myself included, in the past) spend hours perfecting systems with the assumption that every optimization matters. There’s almost a philosophical commitment to getting things just right, sometimes for a version of the system that won’t exist for years.

There’s passion in that. There’s care. But there’s also a risk of losing sight of the bigger picture.

The truth is, time and energy aren’t unlimited. Optimizing the wrong thing can drain valuable focus and delay the things that actually matter.

Think about it like this: if you do the wrong thing perfectly, it’s far less helpful than doing the right thing well enough.

---

The shift toward effectiveness

As you grow in your craft, your focus has to shift to more meta-level challenges. It’s no longer just about making the code cleaner or the process faster. It’s about what should we be doing at all?

It's about using efficiency in service of effectiveness.

That shift takes practice. It also requires new skills: prioritization, decision-making, expectation management, and a clear understanding of business needs. These aren't "soft skills", they’re critical professional capabilities.

I talk about this in more detail in Three Questions That Will Make You A Better Engineer, one of the most-read pieces on the blog. It offers a practical lens for figuring out what’s truly worth your effort.

---

Discipline over indulgence

Engineers love puzzles. And optimization is an especially fun one: precise, mathematical, elegant. But it’s easy to fall into the trap of solving interesting problems that don’t matter, simply because they’re… interesting.

The real discipline is pausing to ask: Is this pushing things forward? Or is it just scratching an intellectual itch?

Imagine running your own one-person business. Every minute and dollar counts. How eager would you be to spend time on something that doesn’t clearly contribute to the bottom line?

---