The 3-Month Framework: A Practical Approach to Non-Scalable Solutions
In the world of technology and startup culture, advice like “Do things that don’t scale,” made famous by Paul Graham, is often echoed but rarely dissected, especially when it comes to coding practices. After eight months of developing my AI podcast platform, I’ve devised a straightforward framework: any non-scalable hack I implement gets a lifespan of three months. At the end of this period, it either demonstrates its value and gets the necessary enhancements or is discarded.
The Dichotomy of Engineering Mindsets
As engineers, we are often trained to think in terms of scalability from the outset. Concepts such as design patterns, microservices, and distributed systems embody the ideal scalable solutions that large organizations strive for. However, in a startup environment, attempting to build scalable systems too early can lead to unnecessary complexity and wasted resources. My three-month rule has compelled me to develop straightforward, efficient code that directly addresses immediate needs while providing invaluable insights about user preferences.
An Overview of My Current Hacks and Their Savvy Logic
1. Centralized Operations on a Single Virtual Machine
Currently, my database, web server, background jobs, and caching service are all running on a single $40/month virtual machine without redundancy. While this setup may seem risky, it has provided clear visibility into my resource requirements. I’ve identified that my “AI-balanced” platform reaches a peak usage of just 4GB of RAM. Had I invested time into setting up a complex Kubernetes architecture, I would have been managing resources that aren’t even in demand. When failures occur (and they have), I gain real-world data about system vulnerabilities — insights I truly value.
2. Hardcoded Settings for Configuration Management
In my codebase, critical configurations, such as pricing and user limits, are hardcoded into the files. This means that making changes necessitates redeployment. While this might seem limiting, it allows me to search for configuration values quickly. My adjustments have been minimal—three changes in three months—which demonstrates that a week’s worth of effort to create a dedicated configuration service would have been unnecessary. Instead, I save time and focus on more pressing development tasks.
3. Utilizing SQLite for Production-Level Data Management
Ironically, I have opted for SQLite for my web application, which can seamlessly handle 50 concurrent users with a database size of just 47MB. This decision stemmed from my realization
One Comment
This is a compelling and refreshingly pragmatic approach to balancing quick iteration with long-term growth. The 3-month rule emphasizes the importance of validating ideas rapidly without overengineering upfront—a principle that can save startups valuable time and resources. I particularly appreciate your emphasis on learning from failures and the real-world data they generate, rather than striving for perfect scalability from day one. Your use of simple, disposable hacks as experiments aligns well with the lean startup methodology and highlights that sometimes less is more, especially in the early stages. It would be interesting to see how you adapt this framework as your platform matures—perhaps shifting from disposable solutions to more scalable architectures once the core value is proven. Thanks for sharing this insightful approach—it’s a valuable addition to the ongoing discussion about balancing agility and engineering rigor.