"I'll just throw together a quick script to handle this."
Famous last words.
Quick-fix automations feel productive. But they accumulate hidden costs that compound over time.
Maintenance Debt
A quick fix usually means:
- No error handling
- No logging
- Hardcoded values
- No documentation
This works... until it doesn't.
When it breaks (and it will), the cost to fix it is higher than if you'd built it properly the first time.
Silent Failures
Quick scripts fail silently.
They run. They produce no output. You assume they worked.
Three weeks later, you discover they've been failing the entire time.
The cost? Lost data, missed deadlines, and angry stakeholders.
Lost Trust
When automation fails silently, stakeholders lose trust in all automation.
"I'll just do it manually" becomes the default response.
Now your entire automation initiative is dead—because of one bad script.
Rework Cost
The math is brutal:
- Quick fix: 10 minutes to build.
- Breaks 3 months later.
- Debugging: 2 hours (because there are no logs).
- Fixing: 1 hour.
- Total cost: 3+ hours (vs. 30 minutes to build it properly).
When Quick Fixes Are Okay
Sometimes, quick fixes are justified:
- One-time tasks (truly one-time, not "I'll need this again next quarter").
- Throwaway prototypes (clearly labeled as experimental).
But if you're going to reuse it, build it right.
Conclusion
Quick fixes are expensive.
Spend the extra 20 minutes to:
- Add error handling
- Log the output
- Write a 3-line README
Your future self will thank you.
