Common Threads: Think Big, Build Small#
This is the first in a series I’m calling “Common Threads”. My goal is to bring together ideas from different sources I interact with and synthesize them into a post as a means of learning in public. See the introductory post for a slightly more in-depth explanation of what this is and why I’m doing it.
Fibers#
Definition#
To extend Swizec’s brick layer metaphor, we must know we are building a cathedral and we must build it brick by brick. When building a product, we want to work in small batches. Small batches are easier to verify. They allow us to deliver value to users faster. But, we must never forget that we are building a product, not just a set of features. Each small batch should aim to be aligned with goals of the company1 and the product we are building.
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This terminology can be a red flag for some software engineers. We see us and the business as opposing entities. In some workplaces, this can be the case. However, I think that is a grave mistake. Our goals are almost always inherently aligned with the business. Tech debt is a business problem, and if engineers aren’t allowed to address it, the organization will have to pay for it. On the other side of this, migrating your web application with 100 users into a micro-fronted architecture might be fun, but it will be a huge waste of money. Your organization needs that to pay you. ↩︎