Saron Yitbarek: The Balance Between Maintainable Code and Multiple Streams of Income

Maintainable

In this episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby sits down with Saron Yitbarek, founder and CEO of DiscoLink, to explore the challenges of maintaining early-stage software while balancing multiple streams of income. Saron shares her journey from being a solo developer to hiring her first teammate and the lessons learned along the way about code maintainability and business logic.

Episode Highlights

• [00:05:32] Introduction to Saron's Background: Robby and Saron discuss her startup, DiscoLink, and the initial development of its MVP.
• [00:10:50] The Importance of Context in Code: Saron emphasizes why understanding the business decisions behind code is crucial for maintainability.
• [00:15:10] Onboarding a New Developer: Saron shares her experience hiring her first developer and how it changed her approach to software maintenance.
• [00:20:32] Multiple Streams of Income: Saron explains her motivation behind building DiscoLink to help professionals manage different revenue streams.
• [00:25:40] Transparency Around Money: A candid conversation about developers’ fears around charging for their work and how to overcome them.
• [00:30:45] Ethics and Side Projects: Robby and Saron discuss ethical considerations when working on side projects while employed full-time.
• [00:35:12] How Podcasting Shaped Saron's Career: Saron talks about how being a podcast host impacted her career growth and networking.

Key Takeaways

• Maintainability Beyond Code: Saron highlights the importance of documenting not just the code but also the business rationale behind decisions.
• Onboarding Challenges: Bringing a new developer into a solo-built project requires strong communication, context sharing, and flexible documentation practices.
• The Power of Multiple Income Streams: Saron’s vision with DiscoLink focuses on helping tech professionals build financial security through various revenue channels.
• Confronting Money Anxiety: Many developers struggle with charging for their work, but transparency and community conversations help break down those barriers.
• Ethical Side Projects: It's important to consider the ethical implications of using work-learned skills for personal projects.

Resources

• Saron Yitbarek on LinkedIn
• Saron Yitbarek on Twitter
• DiscoLink Website
• Book Recommendation: Formerly Known as Food by Kristin Lawless

Links:

• My newsletter: https://themultihyphenate.ck.page/newsletter

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