Background
Every engineering organization accumulates decisions. Most of them make sense at the time they are made. The challenge appears six months later when nobody remembers why a particular approach was chosen.
The Missing Context Problem
Code explains what the system does. It rarely explains why the system exists in its current form.
The rationale behind a decision often disappears into meetings, chat messages, tickets, and tribal knowledge. The result is repeated analysis and unnecessary rework.
Working Notes vs. Formal Documentation
Not every idea needs a design document. Sometimes a few paragraphs of captured reasoning are enough to preserve valuable context.
Question:
Should this service own this workflow?
Options considered:
- Keep existing ownership
- Move workflow
- Split responsibility
Decision:
Keep ownership local.
Reason:
Operational complexity outweighed benefits.
Closing Thought
Future engineers frequently benefit more from understanding yesterday's reasoning than from reading yesterday's conclusions.