Embracing the 3-Month Rule: A Practical Approach to Unscalable Solutions in Software Development
In the world of startups, conventional wisdom often emphasizes the importance of scalability, a principle championed by Paul Graham with his mantra: “Do things that don’t scale.” However, navigating this concept effectively in the realm of software development, particularly in coding, often goes unexplored.
After dedicating eight months to building my AI podcast platform, I’ve discovered a pragmatic framework that allows me to harness the benefits of unscalable solutions while simultaneously learning from them: introducing the 3-Month Rule. This straightforward guideline states that any short-term hack I implement will be evaluated after three months. In that timeframe, it must either demonstrate its worth and be transformed into a robust solution or be discarded entirely.
As engineers, we are conditioned to devise scalable architectures from the inception of a project. We dive into design patterns, microservices, and distributed systems—methods that are well-suited for accommodating millions of users. However, in a startup environment, obsessing over scalability can often turn into a form of costly procrastination. By optimizing our systems for potential users that may never exist, we lose sight of our immediate needs. The 3-Month Rule compels me to focus on producing straightforward, albeit “imperfect,” code that can be deployed quickly, allowing me to gain valuable insights into what my users genuinely require.
My Current Infrastructure Hacks: Why They Work
1. Consolidated on a Single Virtual Machine
I chose to host my database, web server, background jobs, and caching solution all on one $40-per-month virtual machine, accepting the trade-off of zero redundancy. Manual backups to my local machine serve as a precaution.
This seemingly risky approach has proven invaluable. Within just two months, I have acquired more knowledge about my actual resource consumption than any capacity planning document could provide. I discovered my AI-driven platform only peaks at 4GB of RAM—highlighting that my plans for a complex Kubernetes setup would have involved managing idle containers.
2. Directly Hardcoded Configuration
python
PRICE_TIER_1 = 9.99
PRICE_TIER_2 = 19.99
MAX_USERS = 100
AI_MODEL = "gpt-4"
Instead of building configuration files or managing environment variables, I opted to hardcode constants throughout my application. This means redeploying is necessary
One Comment
This article offers a compelling perspective on balancing rapid experimentation with long-term robustness—particularly in the fast-paced startup environment. The 3-Month Rule essentially advocates for a disciplined approach to unscalable hacks, ensuring they serve immediate needs while avoiding indefinite technical debt.
I appreciate how this mindset encourages agility: by deploying simple, immediate solutions and committing to reassess after a defined period, developers can gather real user feedback and system insights without getting bogged down in over-engineering. Your example of consolidating everything on a single VM highlights this well—you’re gaining valuable operational data while keeping complexity low.
One thought I’d add is that this approach can also foster a culture where quick wins are celebrated and iterative improvement is normalized, ultimately leading to a more resilient architecture built thoughtfully over time. It’s a reminder that sometimes simplicity, combined with disciplined reflection, can be the most effective path forward.