Overheard a dev say 'your trash folder is just deferred decisions' at a co-working space

2 comments

2 Comments

Man I feel that in my bones. I got a folder full of half-fixed code and unanswered emails that I just keep pushing to later because thinking about them feels like a chore. It's like my brain knows deep down that if I looked at them I'd have to actually make a call, and sometimes it's easier to just pretend they don't exist. That dev really nailed it though, because my "someday" pile is basically just me kicking the can down the road and hoping the problem solves itself.

elliot_taylor4d ago

My buddy Dave has this thing where he prints every code change on paper before merging, I always thought it was a waste of time. Then I noticed his "someday" pile was basically empty, and mine was overflowing with stuff I was scared to touch (like that one database migration that could brick the whole thing). Seeing your post made me realize he wasn't being weird, he was just doing the hard work upfront so he didn't have to pretend problems didn't exist later. It's kind of humbling to admit I was wrong about that, but now I'm trying that paper trick myself. Feels less like kicking the can and more like actually picking it up.