Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Pragmatic Approach to Building in Tech Startups
In the world of technology startups, there’s a well-known piece of advice from entrepreneur Paul Graham: “Do things that don’t scale.” While this mantra is widely acknowledged, the application of this principle within the context of software development is often overlooked. After eight months of building my AI podcast platform, I’ve developed a straightforward yet effective framework centered around the concept of the “3-Month Rule.” This approach allows me to implement unscalable solutions temporarily, giving me just three months to evaluate their worth before either refining or discarding them.
As engineers, we are conditioned to design scalable solutions right from the get-go. We often find ourselves embracing complex architectures—think distributed systems, microservices, and elegant design patterns—intended for managing potentially millions of users. However, this mindset is typically more suited to larger organizations. In a startup environment, developing scalable code can sometimes lead to unnecessary delays, as it requires us to address concerns for users that may not yet exist. By adopting my 3-month framework, I can prioritize producing simple, effective code that is capable of shipping quickly and reveals the genuine needs of my users.
Current Infrastructure Hacks: Smart Decisions in Simplicity
Here’s a look at some of the unorthodox, yet strategic, technical choices I’ve made during my development process, shedding light on why they work in my favor:
1. Consolidated Operations on a Single VM
My entire infrastructure—including database, web server, background jobs, and Redis—is operating on a singular $40/month virtual machine. It may seem risky due to the lack of redundancy and reliance on manual backups, but this setup has proven invaluable. In just two months, I’ve gained insights into my actual resource requirements, discovering that my resource-intensive platform reaches peak demand at only 4GB RAM. My previously considered Kubernetes setup would have introduced unnecessary complexity.
2. Hardcoded Configuration
With constants like PRICE_TIER_1 = 9.99 and MAX_USERS = 100 strewn across my codebase, my setup might raise eyebrows. However, this lack of abstraction means I can search through configurations instantly. Each change requires just a brief redeployment, saving me hours that would have been consumed by developing a configuration management system.
3. Leveraging SQLite for Production
Running SQLite for a multi-user application may not be the norm, yet my
One Comment
This post offers a refreshing perspective on balancing speed and practicality in early-stage development. The “3-Month Rule” effectively empowers startups to prioritize learning and adaptability over premature optimization, which often leads to unnecessary complexity. Your examples of infrastructure hacks—such as consolidating everything on a single VM and leveraging hardcoded configs—highlight a disciplined focus on simplicity that can accelerate iterations while minimizing initial costs.
I believe this approach underscores an important principle: it’s better to build something “good enough” quickly, learn from real user feedback, and then scale thoughtfully — rather than striving for perfect scalability from day one. It would be interesting to hear how you plan to transition from these unscalable solutions once your platform matures, and what triggers the shift towards more robust infrastructure. Thanks for sharing this pragmatic framework; it’s a valuable reminder for founders and engineers alike that sometimes doing less upfront can lead to more insightful and sustainable growth.