If you were to measure the amount of hacks shipping in the latest release of your product by the date they were created. You would probably see a hockey-stick style graph.

Up until that moment, you’ve done everything right, laid the foundation, put in the effort, plowed through your grunt work – making gains all day every day.

But now the end is in sight and everyone is getting excited or worried about what is going to happen next.

Excited because they are finally going to be done.

Worried because will it work and will customers like it.

It’s the perfect storm of hacks.

“That’ll take too long we’re almost done, do it as dirty as possible.”

“The customer now wants these five things, how can we give them three and call it five.”

“We’ll patch again tomorrow.”

It’s tempting to be seduced by the hacks as you push to get it done.

But in the end, it’s the decision that yields debt for years, confusion and a messy release.

Your final release shouldn’t crawl past the finish line encumbered by hacks and patches, it should leap over the ribbon ready to save the world.

When presented with a list of hacks there are only two options – push out the release, push out the work.

Both are unpopular calls that no one wants to make.

But that’s why we have you to lead the way.

 

Want more? Check out my book Code Your Way Up – available as an eBook or Paperback on Amazon (CAN and US).  I’m also the co-host of the Remotely Prepared podcast.

Author

Write A Comment