Guidelines and Defaults

Run less software

• Rely on well-known tools by default
  • ActiveRecord
  • Postgres
  • Rails standards
• Prefer Hotwire to React

Default to functional principles

• Separate writes from reads
• Use Actors for complex writes
• Avoid effects by default
• Prefer pure functions (companions) to stateful objects

Don’t be afraid to build custom solutions to gain simplicity

• Astra Forms
• Actors
• GiraffeQL
• Data Trees

Consider the stability of your problem and solution spaces

If you have low or medium confidence in a problem, consider a loosely-integrated exploratory solution. If you have high confidence in a problem, consider a solution which meets future needs and provides broad leverage.

Seeking Technical Feedback

• Your team is happy to provide feedback in whatever form is most useful
• You are ultimately the driver of the solutions and decisions of your project
• Presenting unbaked ideas is encouraged–don’t wait to get feedback if you’re unsure
• Hosting a Design Discussion is a good default for synchronous feedback
• Writing an Architecture Decision Record (ADR) is a good default for asynchronous feedback