Resume Driven Development
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Resume Driven Development is choosing technologies not because they're right for the project, but because they'll look good on your resume. Need a simple blog? Better use Kubernetes, microservices, GraphQL federation, and a custom ML pipeline. Will it take 10x longer? Yes. Will your LinkedIn look amazing? Also yes.
Real Talk
Resume Driven Development (RDD) is an anti-pattern where technology choices are driven by developers' career goals rather than project requirements. It leads to over-engineered solutions, unnecessary complexity, and maintenance burden. Common symptoms include adopting cutting-edge tools for simple problems and introducing microservices where a monolith would suffice.
When You'll Hear This
"This architecture screams resume-driven development — we don't need Kafka for a todo app." / "I'm guilty of RDD — I added GraphQL just to learn it."
Related Terms
Architecture
Architecture is the master blueprint for your app — like deciding whether to build a house, apartment block, or skyscraper before laying a single brick.
Golden Hammer
The golden hammer is when you find a tool you love and use it for EVERYTHING — even when it's completely wrong for the job. Love React?
KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
Don't overcomplicate things! The simplest solution that works is usually the best one.
Over-engineering
Building a rocket ship when you just need a bicycle.
YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It)
Don't build stuff you don't need right now.