Say it like this
- No need to reinvent the wheel here—let's just use the existing library.
- Before you build that, check if we're reinventing the wheel.
- Why reinvent the wheel when there's already an npm package for this?
- I think we're reinventing the wheel with this custom solution.
- Let's not reinvent the wheel—the platform already handles that.
Use it at work
Code review
- There's a library for this. Let's not reinvent the wheel.
- Why are we writing our own date parser?
Planning
- Before we build, let's check if something already exists.
- We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Another team has a tool.
Pushing back
- It's not reinventing the wheel. The current tools don't fit.
- Sometimes building your own makes sense.
Don't say this
Reinventing the wheel is always presented as negative/wasteful. You avoid it to save time, not do it.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. A teammate asks: 'Should I write my own validation library?' What's the best reply?
2. Which sentence uses the phrase incorrectly?
3. Before building a custom auth system, make sure you're not _______ the wheel.
4. We are making a new thing that someone already made before.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 5
"No need to reinvent the wheel here—let's just use the existing library."
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More about reinventing the wheel
Real examples(7)
- Standup
"I spent yesterday on the date formatter, but then realized I was reinventing the wheel—there's already a util for that."
- Slack message
"Hey, just a heads up—we might be reinventing the wheel here. Check out the shared-components repo first."
- GitHub PR
"This looks like we're reinventing the wheel. Have you considered using lodash for this functionality?"
- Jira ticket
"Before starting this task, verify we're not reinventing the wheel—similar functionality may exist in the auth module."
- Retrospective
"We wasted a sprint reinventing the wheel when we could have used an open-source solution."
- Sprint planning
"Let's make sure we're not reinventing the wheel—can someone research existing tools first?"
- Pair programming
"Hold on, are we reinventing the wheel? I think React has a built-in hook for this."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Saying someone is "reinventing the wheel" can sound critical—soften it with "I think we might be..." in code reviews.
- ✕I reinvented the wheel and found a great library.✓I avoided reinventing the wheel by using an existing library.
Reinventing the wheel means building your own, not finding something that exists.
- ✕Let's reinvent the wheel on this feature.✓Let's not reinvent the wheel on this feature.
The phrase is almost always used with 'don't' or 'stop'—it's rarely positive.
Other forms(3)
- reinventing the wheel verb phrase (gerund)
"We're reinventing the wheel with this custom parser."
- reinvent the wheel verb phrase (infinitive)
"There's no need to reinvent the wheel."
- wheel reinvention noun phrase
"This is classic wheel reinvention—just use the SDK."
Often used with(5)
- don't reinvent the wheel · Most common form—advice to use existing solutions
- stop reinventing the wheel · Direct instruction, often in code review
- no need to reinvent the wheel · Polite suggestion that a solution exists
- why reinvent the wheel · Rhetorical question challenging the approach
- avoid reinventing the wheel · Used in planning or documentation
Similar words(4)
- start from scratch · More neutral—doesn't imply waste like 'reinventing the wheel'
- duplicate effort · Formal alternative, often used in project management
- rebuild something that exists · Direct description without the idiom
- write custom code · Neutral description—can be good or bad depending on context
Opposites(4)
- leverage existing solutions
- reuse code
- use off-the-shelf
- build on top of
Questions(6)
- Is 'reinventing the wheel' always negative?
- 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.
- How do I politely tell someone they're reinventing the wheel?
- 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.'
- Can I use 'reinventing the wheel' in a code review?
- 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.
- What's the difference between 'reinventing the wheel' and 'not invented here syndrome'?
- 'Reinventing the wheel' describes the action of rebuilding something that exists. 'Not invented here syndrome' describes the attitude or bias against using external solutions.
- When is it okay to reinvent the wheel?
- 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.'
- How do I use this phrase in a standup?
- 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.'
