## Metadata * URL: [https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/04/06/things-you-should-never-do-part-i/ * Author: Joel Spolsky * Publisher: www.joelonsoftware.com * Published Date: [[2000-04-06]] * Note: Rewrite from scratch * Tags: ## Highlights * single worst strategic mistake that any software company can make: They decided to rewrite the code from scratch. * Programmers are, in their hearts, architects, and the first thing they want to do when they get to a site is to bulldoze the place flat and build something grand. * **Note**: [[Cómo no hacer nada|Cómo No Hacer Nada]] * The reason that they think the old code is a mess is because of a cardinal, fundamental law of programming: It’s harder to read code than to write it. * They write their own function because it’s easier and more fun than figuring out how the old function works. * Even fairly major architectural changes can be done without throwing away the code. * when you start from scratch there is absolutely no reason to believe that you are going to do a better job than you did the first time.