I’m Good at Coding, But Terrible at Explaining It
Hey reader,
Let me open with a confession that took me years to admit—I’m actually pretty good at coding. I can debug tough issues. I can ship features fast. I can think in abstractions. I even enjoy it.
But ask me to explain what I just did, and you’ll see me fumbling for words, overcomplicating simple things, or worse—assuming the other person already knows.
That’s when I realized:
“Being a good coder doesn't mean you're good at communicating code.”
And this gap? It’s more damaging than I initially thought.
The Shift That Exposed Me
It hit me hard when I started mentoring juniors in my team.
I’d finish writing a neat piece of code, full of edge-case handling and async flows. I was proud. But when I tried to walk a junior through it, they'd either nod blankly or ask, “Umm… wait, can you say that again?”
At first, I thought they weren’t paying attention. But over time, I saw the pattern. I was speaking in code-language, not human-language.
That’s when I realized: I wasn't a great explainer. I was just assuming everyone thought like me.
Spoiler: They don’t.
Why Coders Struggle to Explain
Let’s unpack this a bit. If you’ve ever felt like me, here’s probably why:
1. We Think in Code, Not Conversations
Once you get fluent in coding, your brain starts processing logic like a machine. But humans? They don’t communicate in if-else or try-catch. Explaining something to another human requires translation, and many of us skip that part.
2. We Fear “Dumbing It Down”
We think if we explain something simply, we’re underplaying our intelligence. But in reality, clarity is mastery. If you can't teach a concept to a beginner, you probably haven't understood it well enough yourself.
3. We Skip Context
We jump right into "what" we did instead of "why" we did it. We forget that not everyone saw the Jira ticket, the bug, or the Slack thread that led to that solution. Without context, the code is just noise.
The Consequences No One Talks About
Poor communication is not just a soft skill flaw. It quietly erodes our potential:
And in tech, ideas die silently when they’re not communicated well.
My Most Embarrassing Example
Let me take you back to a specific moment.
We were building a backend service with a custom retry mechanism. I spent 3 nights cracking the edge cases. The logic was clean. I wrote unit tests, edge case handling, the whole thing.
Then in the next sprint planning, my lead asked:
“Hey, why didn’t we use the existing retry wrapper from the infra team?”
I froze. I had reasons, but I couldn’t form them into a clear answer. I mumbled something about timeouts and backoff logic. Everyone nodded, but I knew no one really understood.
A week later, we had to refactor the whole thing—because I didn’t communicate my design properly.
It wasn't a code failure. It was a communication failure.
How I’m Fixing It (And You Can Too)
Here’s the good part. Communication isn’t a “talent.” It’s a skill. You can work on it.
1. Narrate Your Thought Process (Even When No One’s Watching)
Whenever I write code now, I try to narrate to myself:
“What problem am I solving?” “Why this approach over others?” “What assumptions am I making?”
This self-talk helps me create mental scripts I can reuse in PR reviews, documentation, or even mentorship calls.
2. Write Mini-Explanations in PR Descriptions
Not just “Added feature X” — I now write:
It helps reviewers, sure. But it also forces me to clarify my own logic.
3. Teach in Public (Start Small)
You don’t need a YouTube channel. Just start posting threads, or blog breakdowns of your learnings.
For example:
Each post sharpens your thinking and builds a reputation.
4. Learn to Read the Listener
If someone looks confused, it’s not their fault. It’s your cue to slow down. Use analogies. Ask questions. Communication is two-way—not a code dump.
From “Good Developer” to “Great Collaborator”
The industry often glorifies lone geniuses. But real-world success looks different.
In reality:
And explaining well? That’s the bridge.
“If you want to go fast, code alone. If you want to go far, explain clearly.”
Let Me Leave You With This
If you're someone who:
I want you to know: You’re not alone.
But also — it’s worth working on.
Because communication isn't fluff. It's force multiplication. It’s the superpower that turns lone developers into impactful engineers, into respected mentors, into leaders.
I’m still learning. I still fumble. But every time I explain something better than the last, I feel that quiet win.
You can too.
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