[codingdave]

I tend to build out a mental model of the bigger blocks of a feature, but will iterate on details as I code, just like you described. And I rarely run my code through a debugger because with that mental model and some judicious logging, I get the job done. But there are people who think coding in that way is asinine, and shows I'm not experienced. Different folks work in different ways.

But because of those differences, it may have been the right call to not move forward with you. That is not a judgment against you. It is an acknowledgement that you don't work the way they like to work, and may have had a hard time melding into the existing team. Or it may have worked, but hiring managers try to avoid risk where possible.

That is fine. Getting turned down for a job that you were perfectly capable of doing is a reality in this industry. Find another place, try again.