How to Keep Large Codebases Clean Without Overengineering
Alright, let’s get straight to it. Today I want to share some practical tips that have helped me keep my codebases clean and efficient as a software engineer. I hope these will be useful for you, especially if you’re working in a team or at a company where things need to scale. This isn’t about overengineering or building the “perfect” app when you have zero users. It’s about being smart and thinking ahead when you know your software is going to get real traffic.
Context Matters: When to Think About Scaling
If you’re just building a personal website for yourself, you don’t need to worry about scalability. But if you’re working for a company and the user base is growing fast, you have to start thinking about how your code will handle more users, more features, and more changes down the line.
Let’s say you’re asked to add a new setting to your company’s software—maybe something like supporting different profile types. If you just hardcode everything, it’ll work for now, but what happens when the product owner comes back and asks to change the label, or add another type? You’ll end up rewriting a bunch of code. If you anticipate these changes, you can build things in a way that makes future updates easy. Sometimes, just thinking one step ahead saves you hours (or days) later.
Always ask yourself: “What’s likely to change here?” If you know it’s coming, build for it now. That way, when the request lands, you can just say, “Voilà, it’s already done!” It makes you look good and saves you a ton of time.
Iteration and Self-Review: The Secret to Getting Better
One of the best habits I’ve picked up is looking back at my old code—sometimes from last year, sometimes just six months ago. It’s wild how much you can improve in a short time, especially early in your career. When you’re a junior or mid-level engineer, you’ll see huge jumps in your skills. As you become more senior, the improvements get smaller, but they’re still there.
Always seek improvement. Software engineering is awesome because there’s always something new to learn—a new library, a new version, a new tool. That keeps things interesting and pushes you to get better. If you ever feel like every day is the same, you’re probably in the wrong environment.
The Role of Tools and AI
With AI and new dev tools popping up all the time, you can’t afford to be slow or stuck in your ways. Use the best tools available to you. They’ll help you write better code, faster, and free up time for other parts of your job. Maybe you’ll even move into product ownership one day—lots of engineers do.
And honestly, I think product owners should know how to code. If they don’t, they’re just not going to understand what’s possible, what’s hard, or how to set realistic deadlines. I’ve seen teams fall apart because the product owner didn’t listen to the engineers or didn’t get the technical side of things. It’s a recipe for burnout and turnover.
Company Culture and Your Environment
Let’s talk about something people don’t mention enough: your work environment. If you’re in a toxic place where people don’t value what you do, get out. Seriously. You only get one life, and spending it somewhere that drains your energy is just not worth it.
I’ve worked in places where I loved the team and the vibe, and I’ve worked in places where I was just another cog in the machine. The difference in my productivity and happiness was night and day. Find a place where people care about each other. It makes all the difference.
My Journey: From Student to Senior Engineer
A bit about me—I started early, building my own open-source CMS (ph7CMS) when I was still a student. I even sold licenses for premium features when I was self-employed in the UK. Manchester was my base, and I loved it. It was cheaper than London, friendlier, and I could really focus on learning English and building my skills.
When I first moved, I didn’t speak a word of English. I had to force myself to learn, even working at Starbucks where people had to speak French to me at first. British people were so friendly, and that helped a lot. Over the years, I’ve worked in different countries and seen all kinds of company cultures.
The main thing I’ve learned? Don’t stay where you’re not valued. Find a place where you can grow, where people care, and where you’re excited to go to work. That’s where you’ll do your best work.
Key Takeaways
- Think ahead: Anticipate likely changes and build your code to handle them easily.
- Iterate and review: Regularly look back at your old code to spot improvements and track your growth.
- Use the best tools: Don’t be afraid to adopt new technologies and AI to boost your productivity.
- Company culture matters: Your environment affects your happiness and productivity—don’t settle for toxic workplaces.
- Product owners should know code: It makes collaboration smoother and leads to better products.
“Always look at your code from last year. That’s how you see how far you’ve come.”
“Don’t stay in a company where people aren’t nice to you or don’t treat you fairly. You only get one life.”
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Best Practices #Codebase Management #Productivity #Scalable Code #Senior Developer #Software Engineering #Tech