Shipping Side Projects With Maintainable Scope

Scope Discipline

I define one production path first:

1. Auth path.
2. Core data flow.
3. One visible user outcome.

Everything else is optional until this path is stable.

Architecture Rule

I avoid early abstraction layers. Instead, I keep modules simple and split them only after repeated pressure from real usage.

Release Rule

Ship in small steps:

• v1: usable baseline.
• v2: reliability and observability.
• v3: cleanup and extension points.

Why It Matters

This approach keeps projects shippable while still leaving room for long-term evolution.