Systems Mindset
I spent years writing code linearly—one function after another, chasing bugs down single paths, treating every problem like it existed in isolation. It's exhausting.
A systems mindset changed that. Not overnight, not dramatically. But gradually I started seeing connections instead of just components. Patterns emerged where I used to see chaos. Code stopped being a series of isolated tasks and became something more like an ecosystem.
This isn't about being smarter or more visionary. It's simpler than that. When you start thinking in systems, you notice how things interact. You see feedback loops. You recognize that changing one piece affects another three layers down. You stop being surprised when fixing one bug creates another.
The shift matters because it changes how you build. Not just what you build, but the underlying approach. System Building isn't a methodology—it's what happens when you internalize these connections. When you stop fighting complexity and start working with it.
Most of us stumble into this eventually. You can't write enough code without noticing the patterns. But recognizing it explicitly helps. At least it did for me.