GALLANT BUREAU note · 004

Code:FASS Ratio.

AI is the great multiplier for code. But it's changed the power balance of the job.

If you're an SME who's had anything custom-built lately, here's something worth knowing.

The ratio of code to faffing about with server stuff (FASS) used to be 90/10. Almost all your time was spent on the development (including spec) and a bit on wiring up infrastructure.

Typical FASS:

  • DNS configuring, including all the grim of DMARC and its pals
  • SSLing
  • Server creation (in its many forms)
  • Managed database wrangling
  • Deployment workflows and repositories
  • Wiring up APIs
  • Security config
  • Cache config
  • Monitoring
  • Backups and S3 ugly

.. and on and on.

Typically a 30 day dev cycle, with maybe 3 days of FASS on top.

The FASS hasn't gone anywhere — it's the same work it always was. But that 30 day dev cycle is now 5. So the same few days of plumbing that used to be a rounding error is now nearly half the job, and it's where the real time goes.

But that's a good thing. Too many times I've seen clients stuck with not knowing who controls what, what services are involved, how to replace one when they break. Allowing, and specifying real time for this part of the job, rather than just sticking it on at the end, means there's scope for proper spec, security, failsafe and handover.

AI doesn't really help us in this stuff, other than answering questions that used to take hours and a lot of trial and error. So if you're an SME and you don't have a shared credentials vault with the provider of anything custom built — get it. It will show you just how carefully (or not) your site has been stuck online.