Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Pragmatic Approach to Non-Scalable Solutions in Development
In the world of startups, advice from influential figures like Paul Graham to “do things that don’t scale” often resonates deeply. However, the challenge lies in translating this mindset into actionable coding practices. During my journey of building an AI podcast platform over the past eight months, I’ve devised a straightforward framework that I refer to as the “3-Month Rule.” This principle dictates that any unscalable solution I’ve implemented gets a trial period of just three months. If it proves its worth within that timeframe, I invest in developing it further; if not, it’s time to move on.
The startup Mindset vs. Traditional Engineering
As engineers, we often place a premium on creating scalable architectures from the outset, focusing on best practices such as design patterns, microservices, and distributed systems. While these strategies are indeed valuable for large enterprises managing vast user bases, they can become a distraction in a startup environment. In fact, scalable solutions can inadvertently turn into expensive delays, as we may find ourselves optimizing for hypothetical situations or users who aren’t yet present. My 3-Month Rule compels me to prioritize simple, efficient code that can be deployed quickly. This allows me to gain real insights into what users genuinely need.
Current Infrastructure Innovations and Their Merits
1. Single VM for Everything
I’ve consolidated my database, web server, and background tasks onto a single $40/month virtual machine—an approach often labeled as risky due to the lack of redundancy. However, this setup has been invaluable for understanding resource requirements. After just two months, I learned that my platform’s peak usage is merely 4GB of RAM. Had I opted for a complex Kubernetes setup, I would have been managing an overwhelming number of empty containers instead of gathering actionable insights from real crashes.
2. Hardcoded Configuration
Every key configuration value in my application is hardcoded, whether it’s pricing or user limits. Instead of relying on external configuration files, I directly embed constants in the code. This method allows me to quickly locate any configuration parameter through a simple search, and tracking changes through my version control system is seamless. Trying to implement a dedicated configuration service would have consumed valuable time for very infrequent adjustments.
3. Utilizing SQLite in Production
Yes, SQLite powers my multi-user web app, and it does so efficiently with a modest database size
