Before Git and GitHub, developers shared code through inefficient methods like pendrives, emails, and ZIP files. A typical workflow involved copying code to a drive, handing it off, and receiving back files labeled `final` or `final_v2`. This chaotic process was standard practice, but it consistently led to frustration and lost work.

The core problem was a complete lack of history and ownership. When multiple developers edited the same file, one person’s changes were inevitably overwritten. Bugs appeared with no way to trace their origin, and working code was often lost forever. Collaboration slowed to a crawl instead of accelerating team progress.

Version control emerged as the necessary solution to this chaos. Systems like Git track every change, ensuring nothing is lost. They allow multiple developers to work safely on the same project and provide the ability to go back in time. This infrastructure transformed software development from a fragile, manual process into a reliable, collaborative discipline.