Think like a developer: proven tips and tricks to boost your productivity

Finding my personal productivity framework

As a founder, my time and energy were always stretched—until I realized I could treat my workflow like I treated client systems.

When patterns started to emerge for me in my own work, I was struck with a thought: why couldn’t I optimize my own work day by applying these same principles? So I began to approach work like I approached software development. I identified my core objectives (or tasks that I had to complete). Then mapped out the current steps I took to achieve each one.

Once I had them mapped out, I could then identify friction points and develop more optimal ways to achieve them.

I have applied this framework to the work I do ever since and this shift fundamentally transformed my workday. By adapting the structure and discipline of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) to my own workflows, I started completing projects faster, experienced less friction and felt more clarity. I had fewer decisions to make, so more energy to focus on strategic thinking.

Adapt the software development lifecycle

Software developers follow a methodology called the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) to build scalable, reliable and efficient systems. SDLC offers a structured process to ensure that development is systematic and meets quality standards.

This approach can be adapted to how we approach our own workflows to reduce friction, complexity and time spent on tasks. While the exact approach can differ by team and needs, the core common phases of the SDLC are outlined below.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to adopt this.

Create your own personal productivity framework

To translate the discipline of software development into your own personal productivity framework, you can follow a five-pronged approach aligned to the SDLC.

Requirements gathering

If you don’t know what you need, you’ll build something inefficient—or irrelevant. To solve for this, developers start with gathering and clarifying requirements. This step is all about understanding what needs to be built and why.

Similarly, for your work, first define the core tasks or objectives that you need to reach. For each task you should consider the non-negotiables that need to be met. Developers refer to these as requirements, and they can include deadlines or certain deliverables that need to be created. Next establish goals for the outcome you would like to achieve via improving your processes. This will guide how you improve your core processes. Common goals include reducing time spent on tasks or standardizing deliverables to improve quality and reduce human error.

Output:

• A list of core tasks that you complete.
• A list of goals highlighting what you want to achieve for each core task.

Example in Action:

While I was consulting I often worked with call centers and call center agents—like the person answering the phone when you are calling customer service. An example task list for a call center agent is included below.

Task List:

• Take incoming calls from customers.
• Access the appropriate information quickly to resolve a customer issue.
• Document each customer call as a case.
• Document notes from customer interaction associated with a certain case.
• Update customers’ cases to the appropriate status (e.g., ‘Resolved’ or ‘Open’).
• Implement the solution to solve the customer issue identified.

When it comes to goals, customer service agents often have very specific metrics on which they are assessed centered on resolving customer issues and the time it took to do so. More time spent on a case means higher costs for companies - so typically they are trying to reduce the time spent on a case, as well as, the number of interactions with the customer that it takes to solve for the case. An example goals list for an agent is below.

Goals List:

• Reduce time spent on resolving customer issues, so that I can service more customers.
• Be able to solve more customer issues the first time they call in.

Current state mapping

You can’t optimize what you don’t understand. So, before touching any code, developers analyze the current system, pinpointing what works and what’s outdated. You can apply the same lens to the work that you do. Using the task list that you created above, map out how you accomplish each one. The mapping should include the key people, process steps and any tools (such as Microsoft Excel or Gmail) that you are currently using to accomplish each task. You can use applications like Microsoft Excel or Miro to do this, but also a pen and paper will be just fine too.

Output: Current state process maps for your core tasks/deliverables.

Example in Action: If you’d like visual inspiration for how to map processes effectively, Nielsen Norman Group has a great overview of journey and flow diagrams that can be adapted for personal workflows.

Gap analysis:

Friction is an opportunity for automation and improvement. In this phase, you will identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. This is the developer’s debugging phase. They look for bugs, bottlenecks and redundancies that could be solved by improved processes, tools and automation. To begin, take the same tasks that you mapped out in the last phase and now map out your ideal state. Next identify “the gap” which represents the difference between how you are working today and how you would like to be working.

Key Considerations:

• What tasks are repetitive?
• Where are things breaking down or getting delayed?
• Which tasks drain energy but don’t add strategic value?

Output:

• Target state process maps.
• List of 'friction' areas that can be improved.

Example in Action:

Below is an example current and future state process map for a founder who is pitching investors.

System design: 

Developers create wireframes, reusable components and templates that accelerate future builds. You can do the same.

In this phase, think about how you can improve the friction points you’ve identified. There are a few strategies and frameworks that you can use to get started for common pain points:

Output:

• Future state process maps (these should be updated (and hopefully more optimized) versions of the current state process maps that you created.
• Solution designs for how you plan to support your future state processes.

Deployment and maintenance:

Now is time to put your improved process plan to work. After prototyping, developers deploy their systems—often incrementally—using automation and continuous integration tools. In your case, be flexible and only use what is adding value. You can continuously iterate based on feedback and performance of what you have implemented. Your workflow should be a living system, not a static checklist.

Reclaim your time for what matters most

Approaching your work like a software developer isn’t just about speed or efficiency; it’s about reclaiming control. By systematizing the repetitive and optimizing the chaotic, you free up time and mental space for what truly matters—creative thinking, big-picture strategy, meaningful relationships, or simply rest. Don’t think of this as a rigid framework. It’s a living system that evolves with you.

And in that evolution lies the real joy of entrepreneurship: building a business and a life that work better, together.

Recommended tools and tricks

The world is your oyster when it comes to tools and frameworks that can be applied to improve your “current state” with the abundance of AI applications and no-code and low-code tools available today.

Here are a few of the tools I’ve used and would recommend to quick-start your journey: