Kent Beck's formula: codebase value = features + futures, and AI accelerates the tradeoff
teropa · x · 2026-10-22
- Kent Beck's formula: the value of a codebase = the features it currently has + the number of futures it allows.
- Adding features collapses futures; you have to actively work to gain them back.
- teropa notes the same tradeoff applies in the AI era — it just happens much faster, as AI makes both adding features and burning futures cheaper.
Related event: Kent Beck: Codebase Value = Features + Future Options(2 posts)→
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