How Can Writing Less Code Make You a Better Programmer?

Fewer lines. Fewer bugs. More clarity. Better developer? 100% yes.

Early in my career, I used to feel proud of how much code I wrote.

“Look! 500 lines today. Crushed it. I felt I am the one out there, learning and implementing everythign” Only to realise the next day, 300 of them were redundant. And the other 200?

• Hard to read

• Harder to maintain.

Here’s the hard truth:

The best devs I’ve worked with don’t write more code. They write less — but it does more.

If you’re still measuring your productivity by lines of code… this one’s for you.

Less Code = Less Chaos

Let’s break this myth right now:

More code ≠ better code.  More code = more complexity, more bugs, and more refactoring pain.

Here’s what writing less code actually means:

• You simplify your logic instead of stacking if conditions like a Jenga tower, you try to find better and more readable alternatives.

• You lean on built-in tools, not reinvent the wheel to show how much you can do.

• You write components once and reuse them instead of duplicating. This case depends on the use case. If you have frequently changing code 

• You know when not to add that “quick fix”

Clean code is quiet. Efficient. It feels smooth and right when you read it.

Signs You Might Be Writing Too Much Code

• Your PRs take forever to review, and then there is the to-and-fro of getting reviews, fixing them, and the cycle goes on.

• You’re fixing the same bug in 3 different files.

• You constantly write code to “cover up” other messy code

• You dread coming back to your project after a week, as it’s very confusing to make any changes or maybe refactor it.

If you feel attacked… don’t worry. We’ve all been there. Growth starts here 😄

How to Practice Writing Less (But Smarter) Code

Start using this 3-step thinking pattern:

1. Pause before coding: Can I solve this differently? Can this logic be broken down? What things can I reuse?

2. Google better: Has someone built this already? Is there a native method?

3. Refactor ruthlessly: Your first draft is allowed to be messy, but don’t stop there.

Pro tip: Read code from top contributors on open-source projects. You’ll notice they don’t show off with code. They solve problems gracefully.

Bonus: Real Examples That Hit Hard

• Instead of writing a whole utility to debounce inputs… use lodash.

• Instead of manually formatting dates… use date-fns or Intl.DateTimeFormat.

• Instead of writing 10 useState hooks… maybe it's time for useReducer.

Your job isn’t to impress with complexity. It’s to deliver with clarity.

Final Thought

Writing less code isn’t about doing less work. It is about giving the process a thought initially until your subconscious picks it. It’s about doing the right work — the kind that’s clean, clear, and easy to grow with.

The next time you feel tempted to prove your skills by typing more…

Pause. Think. And ask yourself: Is there a simpler way?

Note for Readers

Have you ever caught yourself over-engineering something? Or refactored a chunk of code and thought, “Wow, that’s so much better”? Tell me your “less code, better code” moment in the comments 👇 

Let’s share and learn.

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