One-way doors vs two-way doors
One-way doors are decisions that are irreversible, or at least very difficult to reverse.
Two-way doors are decisions you can undo easily.
If you’re faced with a 2-way-door decision, make it quickly and move on. Don’t spend unnecessary time preparing for it, or fretting that the decision was the right one. Make a good choice and move forward.
If the choice is a 1-way-door decision, slow down. Talk it through with others. The consequence of getting these decisions wrong is much larger, so don’t rush it.
Two-way door decisions that I often see overthought (i.e. you should put less effort into these than people usually put into them):
- Most PRs (start by verifying if it’s a one-way door or two-way door, then treat it correctly)
One-way door decisions that I often see under-thought (i.e. you should put more effort into these than people usually put into them):
- Which database are you going to use for the service?
- Who are you in a relationship with?