I Don't Build Software Just to Write Code
For a long time, I didn't focus much on social media.
While many developers were building their online presence, sharing projects, discussing technologies, and growing their networks, I was focused somewhere else.
Inside hospitals.
Inside workflows.
Inside databases.
Inside servers.
Inside the problems that people were actually experiencing.
That is where my understanding of software engineering developed.
Technology Is Only Valuable When It Solves a Problem
It is easy to become fascinated by technology.
A new framework appears.
A new programming language becomes popular.
A new database is released.
A new AI model changes the industry.
Developers naturally want to experiment with these technologies.
But there is a question I believe should come before all of them:
What problem are we actually trying to solve?
A hospital does not need a modern JavaScript framework simply because it is modern.
A pharmacy does not need an application because having an application sounds impressive.
A business does not need a database because every modern business has one.
Technology has value when it improves something that matters.
It might reduce waiting time.
It might improve financial visibility.
It might reduce errors.
It might make information available when people need it.
It might connect previously disconnected workflows.
It might help management make better decisions.
That is the type of engineering that interests me.
Working With Real Healthcare Problems
Healthcare is one of the most complex environments in which software can be deployed.
A single patient journey can involve multiple departments, professionals, financial transactions, insurance processes, pharmacy operations, reporting requirements, and clinical decisions.
These processes cannot be solved by looking only at a screen.
You have to understand what happens behind the screen.
Who creates the information?
Who uses it?
Where does it go?
Who approves it?
What happens when something is entered incorrectly?
What happens when the network goes down?
What happens when the system is unavailable?
What happens when management needs a report?
These questions are just as important as the programming language used to build the application.
From Problems to Systems
My work has involved developing digital systems for healthcare and business operations, including hospital information systems, health insurance and revenue workflows, pharmacy management, wholesale systems, reporting, integrations, and custom web platforms.
The technology changes from project to project.
But the engineering process remains similar:
Understand the problem.
↓
Understand the people and workflow.
↓
Design the solution.
↓
Build the system.
↓
Test it in the real environment.
↓
Deploy it.
↓
Listen to users.
↓
Improve it.
That final step is particularly important.
A system is never truly finished simply because the developer has completed the code.
The real test begins when people start using it.
Building HOROO Innovations
This philosophy also influenced my journey with HOROO Innovations PLC.
Together with four other founders, we started building a local technology company around a simple idea:
Solve real problems with practical technology.
Building a company is very different from building a demonstration project.
A demonstration can work for five minutes.
A real system has to survive real users.
It needs:
reliable data
security
backups
maintainability
user support
performance
infrastructure
proper workflows
continuous improvement
And ultimately, people need to trust it.
That experience has changed the way I think about software.
Why I Am Sharing More Now
I have spent much more time building than talking about what I build.
Now I want to change that.
Not because I want to become a social media personality.
But because I believe there is value in documenting what we are learning while building technology in Ethiopia.
There are many important technology problems around us.
Some are technical.
Some are organizational.
Some are infrastructure problems.
Some are workflow problems.
And many are a combination of all of them.
I want to share those experiences.
I want to discuss what works.
I want to discuss what doesn't.
I want to share technical lessons.
I want to discuss digital health.
I want to document entrepreneurship.
And I want to show what it actually looks like to build and deploy software in the real world.
The Principle I Keep Coming Back To
I don't want to build software simply because technology makes it possible.
I want to build it because there is a problem worth solving.
That principle will continue to guide my work as a software engineer, digital health systems architect, and Co-Founder & CTO of HOROO Innovations.
Real problems.
Practical solutions.
Real-world impact.
And now, I am going to start documenting the journey.
— Haji Omer Sheno