Today, I had my first encounter with a real-life "code smell" while taking over a code base developed by our colleagues in the current sprint. Although I had previous experience with thorough code reviews and a general understanding of the features and functions, working on adding new features demanded a deeper comprehension of the code base. That's when I noticed three lines of code that immediately struck me as problematic, but I couldn't quite pinpoint the exact issue. An odd feeling of trouble surrounded those lines, and as bugs started to surface, I began exploring various possibilities, possibly overthinking the problem.

However, in the end, it turned out that my initial instinct about those three suspicious lines of code was correct - they were indeed the root of the problem. This experience taught me two valuable lessons: firstly, code smell is a real phenomenon that shouldn't be overlooked. Secondly, trusting my instincts can often lead to better outcomes than overanalyzing situations.