Question 1

Is 'reinventing the wheel' always negative?

Accepted Answer

Yes, almost always. The phrase implies wasted effort. If you want to describe building something new in a positive way, say 'building from scratch' or 'creating a custom solution' instead.

Question 2

How do I politely tell someone they're reinventing the wheel?

Accepted Answer

Use softening phrases: 'I think we might be reinventing the wheel here—have you checked if X library does this?' Or: 'Just a thought—there might be an existing solution for this.'

Question 3

Can I use 'reinventing the wheel' in a code review?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's common in code reviews. You might write: 'This looks like we're reinventing the wheel. Consider using [library name] instead.' It's direct but accepted.

Question 4

What's the difference between 'reinventing the wheel' and 'not invented here syndrome'?

Accepted Answer

'Reinventing the wheel' describes the action of rebuilding something that exists. 'Not invented here syndrome' describes the attitude or bias against using external solutions.

Question 5

When is it okay to reinvent the wheel?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes teams intentionally build custom solutions for learning, control, or specific requirements. In those cases, people usually acknowledge it: 'I know we're reinventing the wheel, but we need full control over this component.'

Question 6

How do I use this phrase in a standup?

Accepted Answer

You might say: 'I realized I was reinventing the wheel, so I switched to using the existing utility.' Or: 'Before I continue, I want to check if we're reinventing the wheel here.'

Commonness
Versatility
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticDirect
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reinventing the wheel

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