Show HN: I built a reference site for the recurring hard problems in software

Show HN (score: 6)
Found: April 27, 2026
ID: 4361

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Show HN: I built a reference site for the recurring hard problems in software Hi HN, I've been working on this for a while and it was hard to decide when to stop, either on the way information is presented or when to stop with adding entries. It's not meant as a blog, but rather as a reference that keeps growing.

Link: https://thehardparts.dev

Currently I've created 4 main section:

- Failure Modes: ways project go wrong

- Red Flags: early signals that are worth taking seriously

- Tech Decisions: common and not so common trade-offs for hard choices

- Playbooks - guided approach for situations that repeat

I've also focused on creating links between them to show how connected many things are: a red flag usually precedes a failure mode, which might connect to a forced decision, etc.

Some entry points to give you an idea:

- The Invisible Deadline: a date that exists socially but not explicitly enough to manage honestly

- Eveyone Asks The Same Person: when one person becomes the default source of truth

- Build a Practical Rollback Strategy: how to build a reliable rollback strategy

It has 151 entries across the 4 sections.

Curious what you think about the content, format, grouping.

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