Maintainable

Noémi Ványi: Only Fix Problems That Are Actually Problems

Mar 11, 2025
Noémi Ványi, a Senior Software Engineer at Xata, discusses the art of knowing when to refactor code and the importance of developer autonomy for sustainable software. She shares insights on balancing pragmatism with maintainability and reflects on her experiences with both open-source and closed-source projects. Noémi emphasizes that not all technical debt needs addressing, advocating for strategic management instead. The conversation also touches on the significance of strong communication in teams and the necessity of clear commit messages to enhance collaboration.
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INSIGHT

Characteristics of Well-Maintained Software

  • Well-maintained software has clear, decoupled modules, good tests, and observability.
  • Software maintenance requires collaboration beyond engineers, involving product, QA, and support teams.
INSIGHT

Communication Key in All Contexts

  • Communication and collaboration are essential whether software is open source or closed source.
  • Product managers help define user needs better than direct users who may not provide enough details.
ADVICE

Prioritize Refactoring by Impact

  • Prioritize paying technical debt that affects frequently changed or user-facing code.
  • Gather insights from product management, support, and users before deciding what to refactor.
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