“We should refactor the whole thing…”

I've heard this line more times than I can count — and honestly, most of those refactors failed.

Not because refactoring is a bad idea. But because they were done wrong.

📉 Why They Fail

Here are the top reasons I’ve seen (and experienced):

• No clear target architecture

  “We just want it cleaner” is not a plan.

• Lack of test coverage

  If you don’t have a safety net, every change is a risk.

• Big-bang rewrites

  Trying to change everything at once = chaos.

• Team misalignment

  If everyone has a different definition of “clean,” good luck.

✅ How to Do It Right

If you want your refactor to succeed, start with these:

• Define the end goal

  What will the architecture look like after refactoring?

• Refactor incrementally

  Small, focused changes are easier to test, review, and roll back.

• Write tests first

  Ensure you’re not breaking things while cleaning things up.

• Align the team on standards

  Agree on patterns, formatting, naming — everything.

💡 My Take

The best refactors I’ve seen had these 3 things:

1. A clear vision
2. A solid test suite
3. A well-communicated plan

Refactoring without those? You’re just rewriting code and hoping for the best.

🙋 Your Turn

Have you ever done a big refactor?

• Was it painful or satisfying?
• Did you have the plan and tests?
• Or was it more like “rip it out and hope”?

Let’s share some refactor war stories in the comments. 👇#refactoring #cleancode #softwaredesign #programming #software #coding #development #engineering #inclusive #community
🔧 Why Most Refactors Fail — And How to Fix Them

What can we learn from "Lord of the Rings"? 🎬

@apaipi will take us on a adventure at #SAGconf, where mistakes were made, people were hurt, but the project still succeeded!

In her session, Aino will show how to build a strong team, work together effectively, and finish a project against all odds – just like the heroes of Middle-earth. 🧝

🔍 Find out more about Aino's session here: https://lmy.de/pmbLu

#SoftwareArchitectureGathering #Teamwork #LordOfTheRings #SoftwareDesign #Agile

Alt...

Session: "What We (Should Have) Learned From Lord of the Rings" by Aino Vonge Corry

Design and Architecture Fundamentals in C# http://leanpub.com/set/leanpub/csharp-architect by EngineerSpock is the featured Track of online courses on the Leanpub homepage! https://leanpub.com #softwarearchitecture #programming #softwaredesign

Design and Architecture Fundamentals in C# http://leanpub.com/set/leanpub/csharp-architect by EngineerSpock is the featured Track of online courses on the Leanpub homepage! https://leanpub.com #softwaredesign #softwarearchitecture