I used to enjoy the thrill of the refactor, especially on applications where there weren't a lot of users or the product didn't generate much revenue. Or bette

I used to enjoy the thrill of the refactor, especially on applications where there weren't a lot of users or the product didn't generate much revenue. Or better yet, refactoring before the product has even been released. When the stakes are low, you can be much more fearless, and it is fun to rearchitect and introduce new patterns, etc. But when the stakes are higher, the risk/reward ratio just isn't there. You can refactor the code to make it more sensible or pleasing to your eye. Two problems with this: 1) Someone else may disagree and refactor it again. 2) When it blows up or has unintended consequences, and you are now on the hot seat, you find yourself working on Saturday asking yourself if it was worth it at all. Thus the fear sets in.