Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Unique Approach to Non-Scalable Coding
When it comes to launching a tech startup, there’s a common mantra that often echoes within the startup community: “Do things that don’t scale.” While many are familiar with this wisdom, particularly from Paul Graham, the challenge lies in implementing it, particularly in the realm of coding.
After spending the last eight months developing my AI-driven podcast platform, I’ve established a straightforward yet powerful framework: each unscalable solution gets a trial period of three months. At the end of this period, it either proves its worth and receives a more robust infrastructure or it gets phased out.
Rethinking Code for Startups
As engineers, we often have ingrained habits of constructing highly scalable solutions right from the get-go. We think in terms of design patterns, microservices, and distributed systems—architectural choices ideal for large enterprises. However, in a startup environment, focusing on scalability too early can lead to unnecessary complexity and wasted resources.
In fact, chasing after scalability can feel like procrastination, as it’s often about optimizing for users that haven’t yet arrived or addressing issues that might never materialize. My three-month rule encourages me to write straightforward, albeit rough, code that actually functions and offers insights into what users truly need.
Some Current Simplified Infrastructure Hacks Worth Considering
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Single VM Setup
Currently, my entire application, from the database to background jobs, operates on a modest $40/month virtual machine (VM). While this approach lacks redundancy and manual backups are made to my local system, the insights gained have been invaluable. In just two months, I’ve grasped my resource demands better than any planning document could provide. I discovered that my platform, which I expected to be resource-heavy, only peaked at 4GB of RAM. The complex Kubernetes setup I almost implemented would have only managed idle resources. Whenever the system crashes, I receive real data on what actually fails—something I never would have anticipated. -
Hardcoded Configurations
I utilize hardcoded values throughout my code, with no separate configuration files or environment variables. For instance:
python
PRICE_TIER_1 = 9.99
MAX_USERS = 100
AI_MODEL = "gpt-4"
This approach may seem crude, yet it allows me to quickly search for configuration values across my entire
One Comment
Great insights! I really appreciate how you’re emphasizing the importance of rapid experimentation and learning through the 3-month trial period. This approach aligns well with the Lean Startup philosophy — prioritize validated learning over premature optimization.
In my experience, starting with straightforward, non-scalable solutions helps uncover core user needs and potential pain points early on. Your example of using a single VM provides valuable real-world feedback, often revealing capacity limits or failure modes that you wouldn’t anticipate with over-engineered setups. It’s a pragmatic way to avoid overplanning and unnecessary complexity.
The use of hardcoded configurations, while seemingly crude, underscores the importance of moving quickly and iterating fast. As your platform matures, it’s natural to refactor these into more flexible systems, but initially, this approach keeps the development cycle lean.
Overall, your framework serves as a reminder that in a startup environment, agility and validation trump perfection from day one. Thanks for sharing — it’s a practical blueprint for balancing speed and learning!