My team has built garbage software at times. It isn't because we don't know how to build good software, and it isn't because we don't care, and it isn't becaus

My team has built garbage software at times. It isn't because we don't know how to build good software, and it isn't because we don't care, and it isn't because we don't want to build good software. It is usually because of a continuous sequence of emergencies to which we are forced to react. An emergency occurs, and we have requirements to do something in 1/3 the necessary time. We get 80% of the way though that and, before launch, there's a new emergency, and we have to rush to that. So we end up with crap software that looks like shit and only almost works. But it almost works enough to keep our very large business humming along. Sure, we hate it, and we're making more technical debt, and over time, we get less effective. But sometimes we go through cycles of a year or two when the business either can't afford to do it right or isn't willing to pay the price to do it right. Sometimes, they really are willing to accept paying 10x as much so long as they can pay in a year or two. (I hate it, but it is true)