In the journey from writing code that only the author understands to creating "clean code" that is easily readable and maintainable by a team, the author emphasizes the importance of clarity over cleverness in professional coding environments. Using a FastAPI route as a case study, the author demonstrates how to refactor code to enhance readability without altering its functionality. This involves breaking down complex functions into simpler, more manageable components using editor tools like Extract Method, employing FastAPI’s dependency injection to streamline code, and ensuring testability by replacing dependencies with mock implementations. While clean code is crucial, the author warns against overcomplicating with excessive dependencies, advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes logical structuring and reusability.