As Ruby on Rails developers, it can be tempting to dive straight into building as soon as a feature request appears. But taking a moment to ask the right questions before writing any code can save time, reduce complexity, and lead to much better results. Being intentional at the start of the process helps ensure that the feature you build is actually needed, thoughtfully scoped, and aligned with the goals of your team or product.

The first and most important question to ask is what problem you’re actually trying to solve. It’s easy to confuse a proposed feature with the problem itself, but they are not always the same. By understanding the root of the issue, you can often discover easier or more effective solutions. Sometimes the best answer isn’t building something new at all, but adjusting an existing workflow or providing more clarity around how something works. Being willing to question whether the work is necessary in the first place can lead to valuable insights.

Next, it’s worth asking whether something similar has already been built in the project. Many Rails applications contain patterns, components, or logic that can be reused. Looking through the codebase for similar implementations can prevent duplicating work and help maintain consistency across the app. If you’re not familiar with a particular part of the system or technology, seek out teammates who might have context or experience. Having a quick conversation with someone who has tackled similar problems before can reveal edge cases, simplify your approach, or point you to tools that already exist. It is at this point that I have refactored an existing view component into a more universal component to work both with the existing product need and the new product need I am building out.

Once you understand the problem and have done some research, it’s time to think about how to deliver the simplest possible version of the feature. Instead of trying to build the perfect, fully-featured solution all at once, focus on a basic version that delivers value and gets the feature in front of users or stakeholders quickly. This makes it easier to gather feedback early, adjust direction if needed, and avoid overengineering. Especially when using tools like Turbo Streams, Rails makes it easy to ship incrementally and iterate with confidence.

Taking the time to reflect before building a new feature leads to better outcomes for both users and developers. By asking these kinds of questions early, you can work more efficiently, avoid unnecessary complexity, and build software that’s more aligned with real needs. Thoughtful development doesn’t slow you down — it helps you move smarter and faster.