How to Tackle Software Development Problems

Whether you're a junior dev or seasoned engineer, solving software tickets in Jira can sometimes feel like unraveling a mystery with no clues. But great engineers don’t panic—they follow a system.

Here’s a simple and repeatable process to help you move from confused and stuck to confident and shipping code.

1. 🕵️ Understand the Scope

Before you write a single line of code, get clear on the “what” and the “why.”

Ask yourself:

• What is the expected behavior of the feature or bug fix?

• What is the actual behavior?

• Where in the codebase is this happening?

• Who reported it—and do they have screenshots, logs, or steps to reproduce?

💡 Pro tip: Write down a summary in your own words. If you can’t explain the problem, you’re not ready to solve it.

2. 🔍 Research the Context

Now it’s time to dig into the codebase.

• Use your IDE’s search to find relevant files, components, or functions.

• Look at logs, stack traces, or error messages.

• Check Git history or Jira ticket links for related PRs or tickets.

• Try to reproduce the bug or understand the current implementation.

Don’t rush this step—a clear mental model = faster solutions.

3. 🧱 Break the Problem Down into Micro-Goals

Trying to solve the entire ticket in one go will overwhelm you. Instead, break it down into small, testable chunks.

Ask:

• What’s the first thing I can do to move this forward?

• Can I isolate the bug in a minimal test case?

• Should I update the logic before touching the UI?

• Do I need to write a test first?

4. 💻 Code Your Solution (One Step at a Time)

Time to code—but keep it clean:

• Start with a small commit for each logical change.

• Use feature branches so you don’t affect the mainline.

• Follow project standards (naming, formatting, tests).

• Add meaningful comments only if the logic isn’t obvious.

Stuck on syntax? Don’t suffer in silence:

• Use code search tools.

• Ask a teammate.

• Paste the problem into ChatGPT.

5. ✅ Review and Reiterate

Before shipping, test your fix:

• Run unit tests and integration tests.

• Manually verify if needed.

• Check edge cases.

Then:

• Ask for a code review, and address feedback.

• If something feels off, go back and simplify.

• If the ticket leads to scope creep, flag it early.

Software is never perfect on the first try. Iteration is part of the process.

Final Thoughts

Working through Jira tickets is a skill—and like any skill, it gets easier with practice and process.

Here’s your new go-to method:

1. Understand the scope

2. Research the context

3. Break it into micro-goals

4. Code small and clean

5. Review, test, and improve

Do this consistently, and you won’t just fix bugs—you’ll earn trust as a reliable problem-solver on your team.