Natural Instinct and the Art of Software Development

Refat Al Abrar — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 11:12:35 +0000

Many of you know I’ve always had a fascination with gadgets. In my earlier days, another obsession ran alongside it which was installing software, experimenting with it and then uninstalling it just to try something new. I had stacks of CDs and DVDs each one carrying a different piece of software, like a treasure chest waiting to be opened.

Those endless experiments gave me something I didn’t realize at the time, a natural instinct for how software should feel. It became second nature, almost like breathing. When I eventually stepped into software development, I found that placing UI elements and thinking from the customer’s perspective came more easily to me.

But here’s the surprising part: what felt natural to me was not natural to everyone else. Many people struggled to see software through the user’s eyes. They could write code, but they couldn’t always predict how a user would react to a button, a menu, or a flow. That realization was eye-opening for me.

Over the years, I’ve come to believe that instinct in software development is not magic. It’s the result of immersion with the technology. The more you expose yourself to different tools, the more you sharpen your sense of what feels intuitive. Yet instinct alone isn’t enough. To build software people love, we must combine instinct with experience, observation and humility.

Great software is not about what the developer finds natural. It’s about what the user finds effortless. And that requires us to step outside our own reflexes and into the shoes of others.

In the end I want to say instinct is a gift, but it’s also a responsibility. It’s shaped by experience, but it must be refined by listening. If we want to create software that feels like breathing for the user, we must first learn to breathe in their world.

What other habits can developers cultivate to sharpen their instinct for user experience? -Let me know in the comment section.

image credit: chatgpt

Leadership is a Mindset: Engineering Goals and People

Refat Al Abrar — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:36:46 +0000

Leadership is not just about authority it’s about perspective. Whenever I need to manage something, I put myself in the position of the audience. I dissolve my emotions, passion, and energy into the field so I can understand how to channel the emotion to get the best outcome. It helps me to calculate when to play which card and how to give the best shot.

As engineers, we are bound to transform the unsystematic into systems, to turn disharmony into harmony. But our work doesn’t stop at code, machines, or processes. True leadership means engineering people and helping them discover their strengths, align their energy, and bring out their best.

There’s no single blueprint for leadership—but there are foundational principles. Even if these traits don’t come naturally, they can be cultivated through conscious practice. At the heart of effective leadership lie four essential skills:

Empathy helps us step into others’ shoes, seeing the world through their lens.
Clarity enables us to identify the tools, constraints, and opportunities before making a move.
Transparency builds trust—whether in a team, a product, or a conversation.
Adaptability ensures that even when outcomes shift, momentum doesn’t stall.
Constructive Feedback helps team to grow exponentially. It's essential not just giving feedback but also receiving feedback.

These aren’t just soft skills they’re strategic tools. When practiced consistently, they shape how we lead, how we build and how we grow.

Achieving goals is not about chasing them blindly, it’s about designing systems that make success inevitable. Break ambitions into smaller, structured steps. Balance passion with discipline. Create feedback loops that refine your path. And above all, celebrate growth along the way.

Great leaders don’t just build systems they build people. And when people grow, goals take care of themselves.

Do you see yourself as someone who builds systems or someone who builds people or both? - Let me know in comments.

Forem: Refat Al Abrar

Natural Instinct and the Art of Software Development

Leadership is a Mindset: Engineering Goals and People