Deploy imperfect now if client insists on perfect

This is part of the Semicolon&Sons Code Diary - consisting of lessons learned on the job. You're in the collaboration category.

Last Updated: 2024-11-21

A programmer at Project P wanted the Docker container to install composer php packages within the Dockerfile instead of an entrypoint script. This would have saved something like 3 seconds of boot up time per week (month?) but take me an extra day or two of fiddling around with a nasty dockerfile base.

My mentor D offered me some advice: Agree with the client. Then deploy the imperfect version, all while explaining to the client that this isn't perfect and we'll do it correctly in a few days time.

What happens here is that, at this point the client has a working version in their hands and will likely want to move on to the next thing -- something that actually matters.