When should a startup rewrite its prototype or MVP from scratch?
A full rewrite is tempting whenever the code feels messy, but it is one of the riskiest decisions you can make. Consider a rewrite only when the current system blocks almost every change, or when a hard technical requirement cannot be met with the existing architecture. Even then, prefer an incremental approach where you gradually replace critical parts behind stable interfaces while keeping the product running. Rewrites often take longer than expected and freeze feature delivery, which can hurt traction and morale. If the main problem is inconsistent patterns or lack of tests, a focused refactor is usually safer than throwing everything away.
Related Tech Stack & Architecture Questions And Answers
- What tech stack should I use for my first SaaS product as a non technical founder?
- Should my startup start with a monolith or with microservices architecture?
- Is it a good idea to build my MVP on low code or no code tools instead of custom development?
- Does the choice of backend language really matter for an early stage product?
- How should a startup choose a cloud provider like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud?
- What database should I choose for an MVP SaaS product?
- Should a startup use serverless (AWS Lambda / Cloud Functions) for the first version?
- How do I choose a frontend framework for a new web app: React, Vue, or Angular?
- Should I build a REST API or GraphQL API for my startup?
- How do I design multi-tenant architecture for SaaS without overcomplicating it?
- What’s the best authentication setup for a SaaS MVP (OAuth, SSO, magic links)?
- How should a startup structure a codebase to avoid a messy architecture later?
- What’s a practical CI/CD setup for early-stage startups?
- When should I introduce caching (Redis) in my architecture?
- Do I need message queues (RabbitMQ, SQS, Kafka) for an MVP?
- How do I choose between containers (Docker/Kubernetes) and a simple VPS/PaaS?
- What observability should I set up early (logs, monitoring, error tracking)?
- How can I keep cloud costs under control while the product is still early?
- How do I manage tech debt without slowing down product development?
- How can a startup safely manage third-party integrations (payments, email, analytics)?
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