Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Practical Approach to Non-Scalable Solutions in Tech Development

In the world of tech startups, the conversation frequently revolves around scaling and the best practices to ensure that your systems can handle vast amounts of users. However, the advice from thought leaders like Paul Graham to “do things that don’t scale” is often overlooked when it comes to practical implementation, especially in the realm of software development.

Having spent the last eight months building an AI podcast platform, I’ve adopted a straightforward yet effective framework: each unscalable solution is granted a lifespan of just three months. After this period, it is evaluated for its effectiveness and either transformed into a more permanent solution or discarded altogether.

Understanding the Need for Non-Scalable Solutions

As engineers, we are conditioned to create scalable architectures from the outset—think microservices, distributed systems, and elegant design patterns intended for thousands, if not millions, of users. However, in the startup environment, focusing on scalability can often lead to unnecessary complexity and wasted resources. My 3-month rule encourages me to write straightforward, sometimes “messy,” code that actually delivers value and provides insights into user interactions.

Highlights of My Current Infrastructure and Their Strategic Value

1. Consolidated Operations on a Single VM

I’ve opted to run everything—including the database, web server, and background jobs—on a single virtual machine, costing only $40 per month. While this approach lacks redundancy and relies on manual backups, it has provided invaluable data regarding my resource requirements. I learned that my platform typically utilizes about 4GB of RAM, revealing that the complex Kubernetes setup I initially planned would have been unnecessary. When the system has crashed (a couple of times), I gleaned insight into what breaks—lessons that traditional capacity planning often overlooks.

2. Direct Constants Over Complex Configurations

Instead of using configuration files or environmental variables, I utilize hardcoded constants like PRICE_TIER_1 = 9.99 directly in the code. This may seem counterintuitive, but it allows me to quickly search my entire codebase for config values while ensuring that every change is documented in version control. Reducing this complexity means I save considerable engineering hours, only redeploying when necessary.

3. Using SQLite in a Multi-User Environment

I made the unconventional choice to employ SQLite for my application’s database needs. Surprisingly, despite handling 50 concurrent users smoothly