The other day my friend pointed out something I thought was quite interesting. I have since found myself sharing it with other people. First, a little back story. Facebook recently released the concept of Places. The ability to check-in to a location and update your Facebook profile. This appeals to users of the constantly increasing mobile market. However this concept is not novel. Foursquare had gained some traction with this concept over a year ago. Given, Foursquare was strictly for the mobile platform. So the key difference here is market audience.

So here’s what I found interesting. All of which are facts at the time of this post. You draw your own conclusions. The Facebook iPhone App has icons on the on the application home screen. One of the icons is for the new Places functionality. This icon is square. The icon is a graphical rendering of a map. The icon contains lines which intersect in a pattern. This pattern forms a four.

I don’t like the conclusions I am drawing from what I see here. This tells me a good idea is no longer enough. Most of us developers know that intellectual property really means shit. But now, it would seem, being first to market no longer matters either. Unfortunately, I already figured this out too with LastPlayed. What seems to matter now is how large the platform from which you shout. And, at the moment, Facebook has a much larger platform than Foursquare. In the end, the probability is in Facebook’s favor to beat out Foursquare. No matter if it was indeed Foursquare’s idea or if they were first. As an aspiring web and mobile application developer, it’s tough to see even at the highest level, it’s a chicken eat chicken world.

So many people seem to forget a key component of problem solving – root cause analysis. How can a problem be solved if you don’t understand it? Nonetheless,
in our fast paced society, under the pressure of immediacy the just get it done mentality reigns. You see it wrapped in wire and covered with duct tape. You hear it in expressions. Treating the symptom, not the problem. Can’t see the forest for the trees. You notice it in behavior. Denial. Excuses.

This is backward to me. I have an analytic mind. It has taken me a while to channel my thought processes, and I am still dialing in. But over the years, it has helped me major in Computer Science and minor in Philosophy and Psychology. It compliments my current profession as a developer. Although exhausting at times, it is a great benefit.

Well armed I have become proficient at hunting down the root cause of problems. To me, root cause analysis is the most important step in solving a problem and an indicator of a good developer. So much energy is wasted when solutions are formed without this step. You are merely proposing something unproven and based on a limited understanding. Yes, maybe your solution works. But does it last? Did it just mask the problem? Did it create a new problem? Can this solution be applied to the same problem again? Did you just get lucky?

You don’t have to break out your lab coat and microscope. But invest a few extra minutes next time you are presented with a problem. I have found those few minutes pay dividends later. Either by saving time or adding experience, in the end it feels right.