The PM's Guide To Imaginary Math

Construction workers building a completely misaligned brick wall is basically the software development lifecycle in one image. "Just keep coding. We can always fix it later" is the mantra that turns 2-week sprints into 6-month refactoring nightmares. The technical debt pictured here would make even the most optimistic project manager cry. But hey, at least it compiles.

Ah yes, the classic "let's rewrite decades of legacy code in a few months" fantasy. For those who don't know, COBOL is the programming equivalent of that ancient Nokia phone your grandpa still uses – outdated but somehow keeping entire nations running. Converting tens of millions of lines of COBOL that handle checks notes just the entire Social Security system to Java is like trying to transplant a whale's brain into a dolphin over a weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Just the financial security of every retiree in America. The best part is the "DOGE wants it done in months" bit. Nothing says "I've never written a line of code in my life" quite like thinking you can replace a 60-year-old system that processes trillions of dollars before your Jira subscription expires. Fun fact: The last time someone tried something similar, they spent $100 million and got absolutely nowhere. But hey, this time it'll be different because... reasons.

The eternal corporate software hierarchy of suffering! First panel: Developer slumped over in despair because they have to use SAP, the enterprise resource planning software that's basically the DMV of software systems. Second panel: "But wait, there's more misery to come!" Third panel: Enter Jira, the project management tool that somehow manages to make tracking tickets feel like filing taxes in Byzantine bureaucracy. Fourth panel: "Congratulations, you've unlocked a new level of developer hell!" The perfect illustration of how enterprise software solutions are just increasingly sophisticated torture devices wrapped in corporate buzzwords.

Oh. My. God. The AUDACITY! Someone just casually announced they're abandoning Git for... EXCEL?! 💀 That face in the bottom panel is literally every developer's soul leaving their body. It's the universal "did I just hear what I think I heard?" expression when someone suggests replacing a sophisticated version control system with spreadsheet hell. Next up: "We're replacing our database with Post-it notes for better visualization" or "Let's code in crayon because the colors are prettier!" I simply cannot with this level of tech blasphemy!

The moment you realize your "quick question" has unleashed a coding apocalypse. That senior dev typing for 10+ minutes isn't crafting a simple yes/no – they're writing your obituary in documentation form. Nothing strikes fear into a developer's heart quite like watching those three typing dots continue past the 30-second mark. At that point, you're not getting an answer – you're getting an essay on why your approach is fundamentally flawed, complete with architectural diagrams and references to design patterns you've never heard of. Pro tip: If you see "senior dev is typing..." for more than 2 minutes, start updating your resume.

The eternal truth of software development. Product managers be like "Let's remove that useful feature nobody asked for" and suddenly users are storming the gates with pitchforks. Twenty years in this industry and I've seen more "bug fixes" that were actually feature removals than actual bug fixes. The worst part? Six months later they'll reintroduce the same feature as "revolutionary new functionality" in their premium tier. Classic corporate gaslighting at its finest.