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Yes it’s like spinning plates

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In a fast-growing company software engineering feels like spinning plates. Nothing ever stays fixed.

spinning plates

You run issue to issue problem to problem in an endless loop of fire fighting. Fix one thing and another one breaks. Fix that thing and the first one breaks.

This is normal.

Your job isn’t to fix things, it’s to stack rank priorities, get the next biggest fire under control, and move on. Once your fire is small enough to let burn, the next one needs you.

Your goal is to build things just well enough to survive the next few months. Because you don’t have time for more – the list of problems is longer than fits in your day. And because you’re basically a new company every 12 to 18 months – you’ll outgrow the solutions you build today.

The challenge then is to find the right balance.

Fix things too shallowly and you’ll never make progress. Fix things too deeply and the business collapses around your perfect little sandbox.

I don’t think there’s a perfect answer [name|]. My approach is to outline a rough vision of the future and spin my plates in that direction. With luck all my little fixes compound over time and move towards Good Software.

But none of that future value matters if there’s no value today. You have to solve today’s problems first.

Cheers,
~Swizec

Published on August 23rd, 2025 in Senior Mindset, Scaling Fast Book

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Who am I and who do I help? I’m Swizec Teller and I turn coders into engineers with “Raw and honest from the heart!” writing. No bullshit. Real insights into the career and skills of a modern software engineer.

Want to become a true senior engineer? Take ownership, have autonomy, and be a force multiplier on your team. The Senior Engineer Mindset ebook can help 👉 swizec.com/senior-mindset. These are the shifts in mindset that unlocked my career.

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By the way, just in case no one has told you it yet today: I love and appreciate you for who you are ❤️



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