How to Survive in Legacy Codebases Without Losing Your Skills
Legacy codebases feel like haunted houses, every file hides a ghost from the past. But instead of letting them drain your skills, you can turn debugging, small refactors, and a sense of humor into survival strategies. Here’s how to thrive when your day job is more archaeology than architecture.
If Everyone’s Nodding, You’re Missing Something
If everyone’s nodding in your meeting, you’re missing something. Silence isn’t agreement, it’s a red flag. Real progress comes from questions, specifics, and a little discomfort.
Support Isn’t a Dumpster for Bad Process
Support teams aren’t the dumpster for bad process. They’re the smoke alarm, calling out failures upstream. If you keep dumping garbage on them, don’t be surprised when your customer satisfaction burns down with it.
Stop Thinking in Tickets. Start Thinking in Outcomes.
You weren’t hired to move Jira tickets. You were hired to solve real problems. If you want to level up, start thinking in outcomes, not just checkboxes.
Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers
Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but asking poorly can waste time and frustrate everyone involved. This post breaks down how to ask smarter, more effective technical questions and get the answers you actually need.