IMO if the code sticks around long enough to disintegrate under its own weight, than that code was a rousing success!
"Resisting management" is almost always a horrible idea. Code is only useful when it provides a solution at the right time for the right price. If not, it is no longer useful and the world moves on.
Overall quality is nothing more than a reflection of business maturity. Like a mighty old tree with a great big trunk. It has had time to grow strong and majestic.
Most businesses don't live longer than 5 years. Most products and solutions are temporary fixes or ideas that don't last longer than a few months. Investing huge amounts of time and resources into those things is a recipe for disaster.
I think this depends strongly on your companies bussines area. If you have BB with companies really relying on your product and long running contracts, the customer wants what he paid for. Including support for the heap of defects. Worse if you got a reputation to uphold and also want to keep your BB costumers. You can quickly become deadlocked in maintaining your old quick shots, unable to move anywhere.
I think it is hard to make general rules without specific market context.
Agreed. It's worth noting in the context you describe, you have valuable customers who have paid for long-running contracts. This warrants the ongoing time and investment in quality.
Most of the time, this is not the case.
My experience is of course mainly at startups, so I am most familiar with the shorter time-horizon, lower-cost initiatives.
"Resisting management" is almost always a horrible idea. Code is only useful when it provides a solution at the right time for the right price. If not, it is no longer useful and the world moves on.
Overall quality is nothing more than a reflection of business maturity. Like a mighty old tree with a great big trunk. It has had time to grow strong and majestic.
Most businesses don't live longer than 5 years. Most products and solutions are temporary fixes or ideas that don't last longer than a few months. Investing huge amounts of time and resources into those things is a recipe for disaster.