As a software developer, I've often thought about the nature of knowledge and the importance of continuous learning. At one point, my academic advisor shared an insightful idea with me, which has stuck with me to this day. He suggested that all existing knowledge, which is essentially the sum of human ingenuity and experience, can be represented as a circle. The entirety of our accomplishments, from technology to ideas, can be visualized as a single, closed shape.
Our job as developers is not to break free from this circle or invent something entirely new but to make small additions to it. This is an opportunity to contribute a single point to the circumference, which others can then build upon. With each incremental step, we make the larger picture more comprehensible, and more possibilities become apparent.
In the world of software development, especially when dealing with vast unknowns, this concept applies.
I once encountered a frustrating bug with CallKit, where an incoming call made on a locked phone screen would result in a missing sound on the second call. By drawing from knowledge gathered from working with audio sessions and creating various audio players, I was able to understand potential development paths and addresses the issue.
Despite the perception that finding answers on StackOverflow should be easy, sometimes you face challenges with almost no existing resources but your own past experiences.
When that happens, you must seek answers or create new ones. Others will view this as simply a resolved issue, but for you, every solved problem is a small victory. These are the stepping stones that will help you tackle more complex problems in the future.
And remember, things will always break. The development landscape is constantly evolving, with new technologies, SDKs, and requirements emerging, making it necessary to adapt and adjust. It's essential to be aware of potential pitfalls.