The big ball of mud
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The Big Ball of Mud it’s a fascinating concept in software development. If you’re not a developer, you may picture a big software development project as an elegant exercise in architecture. That’s rarely the case. A big ball of mud is what most software looks like under the hood because of budget, priorities, deadlines, skills, resources …
The beauty of the Big Ball of Mud, though, is that however messy, it works! And because it does, it is unthinkable to just throw it away and start from scratch. How would you even do that? Any system that’s large and old enough holds too many mysteries.
Draw your own parallels here; I’m sure you’ll find that you have your own mudballs to handle, and although it’s fun to play the architect, you can provide more value if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.
The big ball of mud
Oh this is nice. I haven't heard that term despite being hitched to a software builder. But I love this concept because things are never perfect and it's always messy and I think this is more and more true. Being able to live in the mess while still being able to build towards your vision is a critical skill. I used to think that starting over was an opportunity to build perfection. I no longer feel that way, nor is perfection what I care to aim for. I now cultivate my capacity for grit.