Or a function backoff(attempt) that abstracts away the details and can be re-used in places, perhaps a higher-order function that takes as input the function th

Or a function backoff(attempt) that abstracts away the details and can be re-used in places, perhaps a higher-order function that takes as input the function that does whatever. "This code, or something like it, probably looks really familiar:" Better leave that company, to be honest.