6 Habits of Thinking Like a Programmer

You don't need to write a line of code to build a good site anymore. But a few habits programmers rely on make every request you write — to an AI or to anyone — sharper.

1. Be specific about the current state

"Fix the button" means nothing. "The submit button on the contact form stays grey after it's clicked" is something that can actually be acted on.

2. Describe the change, not the fix

Say what's wrong and what you want instead, rather than guessing at how to solve it. "Make it smaller" is a fix. "The logo is too big on mobile" is a description — and it leaves room for a better fix than the one you'd have guessed.

3. Change one thing at a time

Ask for five changes at once and if something breaks, you won't know which one caused it. One change, check it, then the next.

4. Assume it's a small mistake, not a mystery

Almost everything that looks broken is one small thing out of place — a missing character, a wrong setting. Look for the small thing before assuming something's deeply wrong.

5. Keep a version that works

Before a big change, know you can get back to where you started. It turns "risky" experiments into safe ones.

6. Read the error message

It's usually trying to tell you exactly what's wrong, in plain terms. The instinct to skip past it and guess is almost always the slower path.