Building Enduring Software

What is enduring software?

Enduring software is more than just code; it is about creating systems that adapt, evolve, and thrive over time. In a world where technology is constantly changing, building software that can endure requires a thoughtful approach to design, architecture, and maintenance. There are plenty of software applications that were built over a decade ago and are still in use today, and an even larger number of software that had to be completely rewritten or abandoned due to technical debt.

Why do we need enduring software to become more prevalent?

Software is no different from physical assets when it comes to longevity. The longer a piece of software endures, the more value it can provide to its users. A software application that can service a business for a decade will provide value for a much longer period than its tax depreciation schedule. Enduring software also reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) for businesses. Frequent rewrites and overhauls can be costly and disruptive. By investing in enduring software, organizations can minimize these expenses and focus on their core business activities.

Vibe Coding is the Fast Fashion of Software Development

Vibe coding is a new practice in software development where developers leverage AI agents to generate large portions of applications without much oversight. While this approach can lead to rapid development cycles, it often results in software that is difficult to maintain and evolve over time. Vibe coding prioritizes speed over quality, leading to technical debt and a lack of enduring value. It is important to implement conscious decisions with a focus on building enduring software rather than succumbing to the allure of rapid, but short-lived, development practices.

Strategies for Building Enduring Software - The 10 Commandments

It is important to architect software with longevity in mind. The technology stack, design patterns, and development practices should all be chosen with the goal of creating software that can adapt and evolve over time. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Choose Stable Technologies: Opt for technologies and frameworks that have a strong community and long-term support. Avoid trendy or niche technologies that may become obsolete quickly.
2. Implement Clean Architecture: Use architectural patterns that promote separation of concerns and modularity. Composable architectures make it easier to update and replace components without affecting the entire system.
3. Avoid external dependencies: Relying on third-party libraries or services can introduce vulnerabilities and maintenance challenges. Whenever possible, build in-house solutions or use well-established, actively maintained dependencies. Never compromise on this.
4. Practice Simplicity: Keep the design and implementation as simple as possible. Avoid over-engineering and unnecessary complexity, which can make maintenance and updates more difficult.
5. Implement Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and refactor the codebase to address technical debt and improve performance. Continuous improvement helps ensure that the software remains relevant and efficient over time.
6. Limit Scope: Focus on delivering core functionalities and actively prune features that do not add significant value. A lean feature set is easier to maintain and adapt.
7. Leverage DevOps Practices: Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) will make it easier to deploy updates and maintain the software over time.
8. Index Databases: The number one cause of slow applications that grow over time is lack of proper indexing. Implementing effective indexing strategies can significantly improve performance and scalability in the long term.
9. Prepare for Disaster: Implement robust backup and recovery strategies to protect against data loss and ensure business continuity. Regularly test disaster recovery plans to ensure they are effective.
10. Test and Document: Comprehensive testing and documentation are essential for maintaining software over time. Automated tests help catch issues early, while thorough documentation ensures that future developers can understand and work with the codebase.

The infrastructure of enduring software

The infrastructure supporting enduring software should also be designed for longevity. It is essential to choose solutions where the only real requirement is compute and connectivity. Avoid vendor lock-in and proprietary technologies as those can be deprecated with little notice. Leverage open battle-tested technologies that have stood the test of time, and ensure that your infrastructure is adaptable to any cloud or on-premises hosting environment.

Conclusion

Building enduring software requires a strategic approach that requires careful planning, thoughtful design, and ongoing maintenance. Software is in an ever battle with depreciation and entropy, and only those systems that are designed to adapt and evolve will endure. Rebuilding software every few years is not a sustainable practice, and organizations that invest in enduring software will reap the benefits of reduced costs, increased value, and long-term success.

Written by Rafael Gracioso Martins, Managing Partner at Outroll