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This post makes an excellent point. I've been bitten both by not enough automated testing when a product has traction, and by spending too much time writing aut
by lewq 10y ago
This post makes an excellent point. I've been bitten both by not enough automated testing when a product has traction, and by spending too much time writing automated tests for a product without sufficient traction. Carefully treading this line is the essence of building a successful technology startup.
An interesting addendum might be: How to manage expectations when transitioning from the pre-traction to traction stages? How do you decide between adding new features vs. adding new automated tests to a system when things seem to be going well? "Technical debt management" might be another way of phrasing this conundrum.
- beager 10y agoTreading that line is the art of the science, to be sure, and I've found that the right amount of testing is the amount that will allow you to continue moving fast, even after hitting traction. Technical debt will slow you down, and just because you've hit traction doesn't mean you no longer have to stick and move to keep traction and be successful. What's worse, failing fast in spite of your tests, or squandering your traction because your technical debt slowed you down?