Addendum

Zero technical debt

The codebase operates under a zero-debt policy. Every change is expected to stick. That means:

• Do it right the first time. Take the time to design and implement cleanly. Rushed features create future refactors that slow everyone down.
• Be proactive. Anticipate failure modes and assert invariants early. If you see an issue forming, fix it before it grows roots.
• Build momentum. Shipping reliable code compounds confidence and allows us to move faster without cutting corners.

When planning work, ask: “Will this still look good in a year?” If the answer is “no,” keep iterating.

Performance estimation

Design begins with rough math. Use napkin estimates to reason about throughput, memory pressure, and budget:

1. Estimate inputs. e.g., 1 000 RPS, 1 KB per log entry.
2. Scale in time. 1 000 × 86 400 = ~86 GB per day.
3. Translate to cost/resources. ~2.6 TB/month → ~$50 @ $0.02/GB.

Staying within an order of magnitude is enough to catch design mistakes early. Revisit after you have real measurements.