On building systems that survive team turnover

Short summary

A short reflection on building codebases that survive team turnover, arguing that durable systems communicate intent through naming, architecture, and tests rather than relying on documentation. The author asserts that docs rot and comments lie, so code structure itself must serve as the primary source of truth. The goal is a codebase where a newcomer can build a correct mental model within an afternoon.

• •Durable systems communicate intent, not just implementation
• •Naming, architecture, and tests matter more than READMEs or comments
• •A newcomer should form a correct mental model in an afternoon

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