Stop Halfway

You're halfway through a big architectural change and something doesn't feel right. STOP.

You thought every step through. Every edge case, every detail. And still, something's off. You dig into it and realize it shouldn't be built.

It's tempting to keep going because you've already put in the hours. That's not a reason. Sunk cost fallacy: the time is spent either way. The only question is whether the next hour makes things better or worse.

Be honest and take responsibility for stopping. The time isn't lost. You learned how not to do it.

Flag it. Sleep on it and come back tomorrow. Talk to people about the problem. Sometimes you'll pick it back up with fresh eyes. Sometimes you'll throw it away. Both are fine.

And if the discussion shows it was just your brain taking a weird turn, that's okay too. You raised something that mattered to you. That shows you care.

Hours invested don't mean it has to ship.