Maintenance: Software Isn't Something You Can Be Done With

Software that powers a business is not a set-and-forget asset. When you ignore its health, you end up with five to ten years of hidden work, expensive rebuilds, and potential downtime. The article argues that treating software like a car-doing regular oil changes-prevents those costly emergencies.

Just as drivers schedule oil changes and heed check-engine lights, engineering teams should schedule log clean-ups, library updates, and monitoring reviews. Monitoring alerts act like a dashboard warning, signaling when something is off before it breaks. Support schedules from vendors provide a roadmap for when components need attention, letting you plan incremental rebuilds rather than massive, disruptive overhauls.

The practical takeaway is to allocate a small, recurring slice of time each month for maintenance tasks: update dependencies, prune logs, verify monitoring, and document the state of the system. Pair that with a seasoned developer or a dedicated "maintenance engineer" who can spot risks early and guide the team through incremental improvements.

By institutionalizing regular upkeep, you lower technical debt, reduce the chance of project delays, and extend the useful life of your software. The result is a more reliable product, lower long-term costs, and a development team that spends more time building new value than firefighting old problems.