Whatever requirements we're given tomorrow, we got to get that done

I've seen a thousand hacks justified with "We got to get it done". You know the drill – copy and paste 200 lines of code, hard-code data that should be configurable, skip any automated testing, etc… Such hacks come at the expense of future flexibility (i.e. good design).

However, ironically, given the continual feature change, scope creep, and unknowns in software development, the real question becomes "Whatever requirements we're given tomorrow, we got to get that done."

This second question, the more realistic one for long-term departments, brings completely opposite connotations than the first. Instead of cranking out a feature now with no concern for maintenance costs or flexibility tomorrow, developers need to prepare – i.e. ensure they have automation, builds, reuse, etc…

Besides technical debt, the other problem I have with the "just get it done now" crowd is the false sense of nobility. Often these devs insist that they're doing a good thing (putting out a fire), but really it's just punting the problem down the road for someone else to pay while they boast how quickly they've solved it.