Three questions that will make you a better engineer

The Holy Trinity in effective software engineering

As an effective engineer, you know a lot. You've built expertise in your domain, mastered the technology, and, most importantly, you know how to bring them together to solve problems. You’ve earned your place, but now you face a new challenge: protecting your time and focus, because it really matters.

To help with this, here are three important questions that should guide your decisions and actions every day. Think of them as the "Holy Trinity" of effective software engineering – keep them in the back of your mind at all times.

1. Why this?

This is the first and most crucial question: Why are we working on this? In other words, why should you be dedicating your time and energy to this task? As an effective engineer, part of your role is continuously evaluating where your efforts will have the most significant impact.

Ask yourself:

• Is this the most important thing I should be working on right now?

• What outcome am I trying to achieve?

• How does this align with our business goals?

You’ll often get requests for assistance, reviews, and meetings that don’t seem like a good use of your time. It can be easy to feel like you’re obligated to say “yes” just because these requests come from within the company. But that’s where your experience comes in—you have the knowledge to question whether this task is truly valuable.

If you don’t have to do it, if it doesn’t add value to the business, or if it doesn’t align with your current priorities, then it’s okay to say no. Protect your time for what matters most.

2. Why now?

Opportunities are endless, but our time is limited. It’s crucial to make thoughtful decisions on how to allocate that time wisely. Just because something is worth doing doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth doing right now.

Consider this: You might have two equally important projects: one might be a new feature with clear business value, and the other might be a crucial database upgrade. Both are worth doing, but only one can be prioritized in the short term.

By asking, Why now? you can better determine which project deserves your attention first. If a project isn’t time-sensitive, it’s okay to push it back and work on something that aligns better with your current priorities. Timing matters, and understanding when to act makes all the difference between being an average performer and an effective one.

3. Why me?

Once you’ve established that a task is worth doing and worth doing now, the next question is: Why am I the right person for this? Just because you have the expertise doesn’t mean you should automatically take on everything yourself.

Ask yourself:

• Is there someone else on the team who could handle this more effectively?

• Does this task align with your current responsibilities?

• Could you free up time by delegating this to a more junior team member, or perhaps by helping someone else develop their skills?

Sometimes, stepping back and allowing others to take ownership of a task can be a great way to support their growth while also protecting your own focus. The key is to balance your responsibilities and ensure that you’re working on things that add the most value—not just doing everything because you can.

As an effective engineer, it’s easy to fall into the role of the “go-to” person for every issue. But remember: your time and focus are limited. Empower your team, share knowledge, and delegate when possible to scale yourself and increase overall team productivity.

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Final thoughts

These three questions—Why this? Why now? Why me?—are simple but powerful tools that can help you be more intentional with your time and energy. As an effective engineer, it’s your job to make decisions that drive the most impact, protect your focus, and empower others around you.

By applying these questions, you can make better choices, reduce distractions, and continue growing as a software engineer. Keep these questions in mind, and you’ll find that your career will move in the right direction.