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lelanthrantoday at 7:01 AM2 repliesview on HN

> Code doesn't matter IN THE EARLY DAYS.

> This is similar to what I've observed over 25 years in the industry. In a startup, the code doesn't really matter; the market fit does.

> But as time goes on your codebase has to mature, or else you end up using more and more resources on maintenance rather than innovation.

Counterpoint: Code does matter, in the early days too!

It matters more after you have PMF, but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter pre-PMF.

After all, the code is a step-by-step list of instructions on solving a specific pain point for a specific target market.


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UqWBcuFx6NV4rtoday at 12:23 PM

Nope. That’s what self-important engineers will tell themselves, but it doesn’t make it remotely true. You’re patting yourself on the back for throwing together a CRUD app and burning through a bajillion dollars on AWS.

kstenerudtoday at 10:23 AM

That hasn't been my experience. What I've found worked is:

1. Find a potential customer who's excited about the idea of what you're going to build.

2. Build just enough to make them a mostly happy, paying customer while you secure more customers.

3. Now that you have a few customers, you have a better idea of where your architecture and business flow doesn't fit their needs.

4. Adapt to this reality, and make things robust enough that you're not spending too much time on customer support.

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