Old doesnt mean obsolete

We are, as an industry, obsessed with shiny new things.

New techniques, new tools, new trends. It’s what makes this profession so exciting, but it’s what causes that feeling that you can’t keep up.

Old doesn’t mean obsolete.

Old techniques don’t become invalid just because new ones come out. Often, the older approaches are simpler and more reliable than the new ones.

For example, bicycles are still a good transportation option, even though cars still exist. They’re easier to maintain. They don’t need gas. They’re quieter. You don’t need as much training to use one. They can go places cars can’t.

My mountain bike is 20 years old. I fill the tires up with air when they’re low and oil the chain every few years, and that’s it. It still works.

The same is true for development tools and techniques.

That doesn’t mean you should never use new tools and approaches. But I want to encourage you to be more selective about what you use, and why.

Does the utility outweigh the cost of using it—both for you and your users?

Lean on old-and-trusted approaches, but augment them with new tools and techniques when it’s beneficial to you and your users.