Lot's Wife Anti-Pattern

Noun · Hacker Culture

Definitions

  1. A metaphorical anti-pattern where a team keeps looking backward at a system, process, or product it is supposed to be leaving behind, preventing decisive transition. The phrase alludes to the biblical story of Lot's wife and is used to critique nostalgia-driven architecture hesitation.

    In plain English: An anti-pattern where people cannot move forward because they keep clinging to the old system.

    Example: "We can’t finish the migration if every planning meeting turns into a Lot's Wife anti-pattern about preserving every old workflow."

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