In August 2007, the author discusses the unique mental process good programmers go through. They compare it to mathematicians who hold problems in their minds. Programming involves understanding the problem space well enough to manipulate the entire program mentally. The author emphasizes the importance of avoiding distractions and working in long stretches. They also suggest using succinct languages, rewriting programs, and writing rereadable code. The author criticizes large organizations for hindering individual innovation in programming work. The article advocates for small groups, bottom-up programming, and starting with small projects to keep the entire program in one’s head.
https://paulgraham.com/head.html