> Most enterprise code involves lots of exploring and fast iteration.

And when the code base is 250,000 lines of garbage all the way down, this is impossible. The projects where I’ve had free rein to kill tech debt and SDLC footguns with impunity have all been the ones where velocity maintained or increased over time. All the rest have ground to a halt.

There’s value in customers believing you’ll get there soon and the code will actually work. They can be patient if you have an air of competence. But they will switch to some other clown car if it’s cheaper than your clown car.