Ask HN: New Economics of Software Development Lifecycle
May 30, 2025 - news.ycombinator.com
The article discusses a workflow approach where the development team has flexibility in the order of tasks when creating features, as sales is typically the slowest part of the process. This flexibility allows developers to use existing design patterns from previous features, reducing the need for new designs and enabling quicker development. The article suggests that as a product matures, more reusable patterns become available, streamlining the development process further.
It also highlights that if design has been a consistent bottleneck, and there is a dependency on tools like Figma for every feature, there may be underlying issues in the workflow. The approach described emphasizes efficiency by leveraging existing resources and patterns, allowing for adjustments during development without significantly impacting revenue.
Key takeaways:
Sales is the slowest part of the process, allowing flexibility in feature development order.
Developers can copy existing patterns from prior features, reducing the need for new designs.
Longer product lifespans lead to more reusable patterns, streamlining the development process.
Relying heavily on design tools like Figma for every feature may indicate inefficiencies.
