Editorials

Modern Software Growth, Rooted in Tradition

Simple methods to guide established platforms toward a forward-looking roadmap

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I recall the early days of my career when I encountered a sprawling system that had been pieced together over a decade.

Various libraries, outdated frameworks, and half-documented components were woven into something that had become a cornerstone of daily operations.

Well, maintaining older platforms often surely demands as much thought and creativity as constructing new ones.

Over the years I’ve noticed that many teams wrestle with how to allocate effort to both stabilize legacy systems and build fresh solutions that push the business forward.

Most engineers I’ve worked with find excitement in new projects — there’s a distinct spark in prototyping, refining cutting-edge architectures, and tackling novel challenges.

But the reality is that established applications can’t be ignored. In fact enterprises spend most of their total technology budget on upkeep, leaving just crumbs for forward-thinking development.

So the principle is: a considerable portion of our time is taken by sustaining what’s already in place.