What 74 ADRs in 70 days actually buy a solo dev (no hire, no clients, just the file)

Short summary

Over 70 days, a solo developer documented the ROI of writing 74 Architecture Decision Records. Concrete benefits: ~5 hours saved avoiding re-decisions on complex tradeoffs, 7 fix-rollback cycles prevented through systematic hypothesis testing, and entire classes of silent bugs detected via pattern grepping. ADRs build cognitive calm—returning to old code months later without re-understanding everything—though documentation discipline can become hiding from shipping; maintain balance via ~1.7 ADRs per session.

• •Concrete ROI measured: 5 hours saved avoiding re-decisions, 7 rollback cycles prevented, silent bugs detected via systematic auditing
• •Builds cognitive confidence: return to old code months later without re-understanding the entire system
• •Risk: documentation discipline can become procrastination hiding; maintain ~1.7 ADRs-per-session ratio to stay productive

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.