Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Pragmatic Approach to Unscalable Solutions
In the world of startups, the mantra of “do things that don’t scale” often resonates, yet the implementation of this philosophy in the realm of coding remains an underexplored territory. Having spent the past eight months constructing my AI podcast platform, I have developed a straightforward methodology—introducing the 3-Month Rule. Each unscalable approach is permitted a lifespan of three months, after which it must either validate its worthiness for further development or face removal.
The Dichotomy of Scaling in Startup Culture
As engineers, we are often conditioned to design for scalability from the outset: intricate architectures using microservices, distributed systems, and design patterns that can handle massive user bases are the norm. However, for a burgeoning startup, prioritizing scalable solutions can feel like an exercise in procrastination. In many cases, we find ourselves attempting to optimize for hypothetical users who may never materialize and tackling problems that are not yet a concern.
My three-month strategy compels me to create straightforward, sometimes “imperfect,” code that moves swiftly to deployment, enabling me to glean insights about user needs effectively.
Current Infrastructure Hacks and Their Wisdom
1. Unified Infrastructure on a Single VM
I operate my entire platform—including the database, web server, background jobs, and caching—on a single $40/month virtual machine. There’s no redundancy, and backups are manually saved on my local device.
Why is this practical, you may wonder? It has allowed me to assess my actual requirements far more effectively than any theoretical capacity planning document could. With my platform peaking at just 4GB RAM, I realized that the sophisticated Kubernetes infrastructure I nearly implemented would have been wastefully managing idle containers. Moreover, when the server does crash (as it has twice), I gather concrete data about the real causes, often surprising revelations that differ from my initial expectations.
2. Simplified Configuration Management
Instead of relying on configuration files or environment variables, I keep constants directly within my code:
python
PRICE_TIER_1 = 9.99
PRICE_TIER_2 = 19.99
MAX_USERS = 100
AI_MODEL = "gpt-4"
While this approach might appear archaic, the speed of searching through the codebase for any configuration value is a significant advantage. Tracking price alterations through git history proves beneficial, and though
One Comment
This is a compelling approach that underscores the importance of iterative, real-world testing over hypothetical scalability from day one. The 3-Month Rule effectively balances the need for rapid deployment with disciplined evaluation, allowing startups to pivot and optimize based on concrete user data.
Your example of running everything on a single VM highlights how pragmatic infrastructure choices—designed around actual usage patterns—can prevent wasted effort on premature optimizations. Similarly, the simplified configuration management approach, though unorthodox, emphasizes speed and flexibility, which are crucial in early-stage development.
Overall, this philosophy reminds us that scalable, elegant solutions often evolve gradually; initially, “good enough” and unscalable implementations are valuable learning tools. Your methodology seems like a practical framework for managing technical debt while maintaining agility. Thanks for sharing these insights—definitely a mindset worth adopting in early-stage projects!