Define "better work"? Sounds like that second situation will lead to some crappy architecture with bug-ridden code. The rocket will likely fail and explode. Me

Define "better work"? Sounds like that second situation will lead to some crappy architecture with bug-ridden code. The rocket will likely fail and explode. Meanwhile in the first scenario you've got breathing room to build some truly beautiful code that will pay dividends as the upfront cost is amortized over a decade of reuse. We see similar results in academia, where incredible research can be done because there is predictability and reliability in the environment in which it is being performed. High-stress rushed environments just lead to shitty work/life balance and, at best, mediocre solutions that will provide a stop-gap solution until there is time to do something better. Look at the incredible output from engineers at Google, Facebook, etc... Most tech companies do their best work once they've removed stress and timeline pressure from the equation. The trick is to get to that as early as possible in the company's life.