Definitely, Maybe Agile
Definitely, Maybe Agile
Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock
The Hidden Cost of Temporary Fixes
17 minutes Posted May 8, 2025 at 10:00 am.
Introduction to Longstanding Risks
The Memory Leak Example
Time Trade-offs and Documentation
Understanding Consequences of Quick Fixes
Recommendations for Better Risk Management
Shifting Mindsets About System Failures
Episode Closing
0:00
17:02
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Show notes

Quick fixes turning into permanent problems? You're not alone.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock tackle "longstanding risks" – those temporary solutions that somehow become permanent fixtures in our systems. From memory-leaking services to utility companies skipping maintenance, they explore how small shortcuts create massive long-term costs.

This Week's Takeaways:

  • Document your band-aids with clear reasoning and next steps
  • Protect team capacity to enable thoughtful decision-making
  • Focus on system resilience rather than trying to prevent every failure

Perfect for engineering leaders, DevOps teams, and anyone managing complex technical systems. Subscribe for more insights on scaling agile practices and building maintainable systems.