> We often fail to realize how little we know about a thing until we attempt to simulate it on a computer.
I'll often write out with pen and paper of how I think the flow of a model will go, it's always fascinating how much that diagram changes once I actually build the model. There are both drastic simplifications and increases in nuance based on experience with the system being modeled and where divergences occur.
Same here. And this also works for existing code. When I start diagramming some complex bit of flow, I'm often surprised by how little I actually understood it. I think translating to a different medium of expression forces you to actually read the code, instead of just skimming it and thinking you understand it.
I'll often write out with pen and paper of how I think the flow of a model will go, it's always fascinating how much that diagram changes once I actually build the model. There are both drastic simplifications and increases in nuance based on experience with the system being modeled and where divergences occur.