Approach: System Clarity Audit

Work in Progress

Few systems fall apart because of bad code. Many, however, crumble under the weight of decisions that no longer have context.

This audit focuses on surfacing structure: what’s there, how it holds together, and where it resists change – quietly or not.

1. Orientation

We begin with conversations — with you, your engineers, and the system itself. I ask:

I’ll also trace real code paths and version history to triangulate structure, ownership, and evolution.

2. Structural Mapping

Next, I build a working map of your system — not from a tools-generated dependency graph, but by-hand and from a conceptual lens:

The goal is to reveal the shapes that are already there, and name them honestly.

3. Tightest Couplings

Most velocity loss happens in the knotted parts, not necessarily in the slow ones. I’ll identify:

These can be seen as “quiet brakes” on team momentum.

4. Paths Forward

The audit ends with recommendations, not prescriptions:

The output is written for your team, not just your CTO! You should be able to hand it off, refer to it, and use it to align. An outsider’s perspective is valuable and desirable, but it should never be regarded in isolation.

Continue