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"No, it's less effort than that"

(smartguess.is)
388 points replyifuagree | 3 comments | 21 Oct 23 04:43 UTC | HN request time: 0.855s | source
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dbalatero ◴[21 Oct 23 13:15 UTC] No.37966573[source]▶
I think the biggest challenge I have is that people will immediately ask for estimates when the project is barely a paragraph description. On top of that, my feeling is always "it depends on how much tech debt is in the code after I look in there."

The only reasonable response I've had is "I need 1-2 days to both push you on solidifying these requirements, and stop & audit the codebase to look for any risks before starting".

Is there anything I could be doing better here?

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1. coldtea ◴[21 Oct 23 13:31 UTC] No.37966655[source]▶
>Is there anything I could be doing better here?

Yes. Not give a fuck about the code debt and quality, and just rush out something that barely works. That will keep them satisfied.

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2. paulryanrogers ◴[21 Oct 23 13:58 UTC] No.37966830[source]▶
Having built a few of these and inherited a few, please don't. They become brittle and future changes become increasingly difficult, until velocity grinds to a halt. Then you're just firefighting constantly.

My guess is there is a happy medium between never changing and staying on the cutting edge. A place where you can ride the current of tech, FOSS, dev communities and talent pools.

If course what this looks like day to day and in pointing poker will vary. Ideally there is a seasoned architect on every team who can steer the biggest decisions away from the hazards.

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3. kayodelycaon ◴[21 Oct 23 14:39 UTC] No.37967147[source]▶
The goal is to leave the company before this becomes your problem. ;)

I say this as the person who gets hired to fix things after they left.