Clarity makes you faster. Most people think speed is about working harder, but it's mostly about not wasting time. If you know exactly what to do, you just do it. If you have to stop and debate every little thing, you slow down.

Most teams waste time on things that don't matter. I've seen people argue for half an hour about what to name a variable, or which tool to use, or how to format code. The best teams have conventions, and they follow them. If there's a linter, you run it and move on. If everyone knows the rules, no one has to stop and ask.

Clarity isn't just about rules. It's about knowing what matters and ignoring what doesn't. The best teams are good at this. They make the important things obvious, and the unimportant things disappear. That's how you go fast: by not getting stuck on the small stuff, and by making sure everyone is headed in the same direction. This is especially useful for people early in their careers. When you're new, it's tempting to debate every decision, or to try to show how much you know. But you get more done if you focus on what matters and let the rest go. The sooner you get used to following conventions and not sweating the small stuff, the more you'll help your team move forward. The first time I joined a team that worked this way, it felt abrupt. People made decisions quickly and didn't spend time on minor points. At first, it seemed like no one cared about details, or that my input didn't matter. But after a while, I realized it was just about keeping things moving. Once I got used to it, I found it a relief. I could trust the process and spend my energy on real problems.

Clarity has always mattered, but as systems get more complex, it matters more. The fastest teams are the ones who know exactly what they're trying to do. If you're vague about what you want, you'll spend all your time trying to figure it out. If you're clear, you just do it. This is even more important now that AI tools are becoming part of the workflow. AI can help you move faster, but only if you give it clear instructions. If your requirements are fuzzy, the AI will generate fuzzy results, and you'll spend more time correcting mistakes. The clearer you are, the more leverage you get from AI.

Clarity means making things as simple as possible, and no simpler. The best teams break down problems, pick straightforward solutions, and avoid unnecessary abstraction. Every extra layer is a place for confusion to hide. Don't try to anticipate every possible future change. Make things clear now, and trust yourself to adapt later.

If you want to go fast, be clear. Say exactly what you mean, in code and in conversation. The more precisely you can describe what you want, the less time you'll waste.