Tech Workplace Dictionary

The ability of a newer system version to keep working with older clients data or behavior.

Spending disproportionate time debating a simple issue while avoiding harder decisions.

The scope of systems users or functionality that could be affected by a failure or change.

A change that requires existing consumers to modify how they use a system or interface.

Work performed within or around an existing system and its constraints.

The number of people whose loss would seriously threaten a project's continuity.

A structured examination of a code change by someone other than its author.

Using your own product internally to experience it as a real user would.

The recommended supported way to complete a common engineering task.

A project built without significant constraints from an existing implementation.

An urgent narrowly scoped change made to correct a production problem.

A well-supported technical path that makes preferred practices easier to adopt.

A proposal to merge a set of code changes into another branch.

A change to internal code structure that preserves its intended external behavior.

A previously working behavior that breaks after a change.

Reverting a deployment or change to a previously known state.

The future cost created when a team chooses a faster or simpler technical solution today.

Manual repetitive operational work that scales with service growth and creates little lasting value.

A chain of seemingly necessary side tasks that delays the original task.