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  • Do you agree that this is a tradeoff between simplicity and complexity, which ultimately a tradeoff between short-term and long-term? And in projects with short deadlines and tight budgets, or in small businesses that are in the survival stage, then you need to prioritize short-term over long-term? I see that this is the same with using design pattern: start small, and refactor as you grow. Applying them too soon will make them become anti-patterns Commented Oct 8, 2023 at 6:43
  • So my question is not about why the devs get frustrated with short-term people, but why they don't frame the situation as each situation has its own solution, or each tool serves its own need, and too focusing on long-term solutions will not be good for short-term situations? Commented Oct 8, 2023 at 6:44
  • @Ooker, given that "simplicity" and "complexity" are generally regarded as diametrically opposite qualities, it follows that there must always be a trade off between those two. I'm not sure that each corresponds to short-term and long-term however. Short-termism in development is often characterised by undue complexity on the whole, not by over-simplification. (1/3) Commented Oct 8, 2023 at 7:51
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    I'm not sure devs get frustrated at single short-term solutions when an emergency demands it, but by management who are insufficiently strategic in thought and who (lacking the slightest understanding) think that everything can be solved with short-term solutions. This is roughly what developers mean by "technical debt" - it's basically work that should be done but hasn't yet been, and therefore leaves the existing situation over-complicated or error-prone. Eventually, the situation becomes unmanageably complex and highly incorrect and prone to dysfunction. (2/3) Commented Oct 8, 2023 at 7:56
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    @Ooker: wishful thinking, the Dunning-Kruger effect and the Iceberg Secret. Commented Oct 8, 2023 at 10:36