The 7 Deadly Sins of Software Engineering
2025 has been my most interesting year in software development so far.
I completed six production projects that now require ongoing maintenance, worked on one long-running project that’s been active since March, and experimented with half a dozen smaller prototypes. Compared to previous years, where I intentionally focused on fewer projects, the sheer volume and variety in 2025 exposed me to failure modes I hadn’t seen as clearly before.
In 2023–2024, work was slower due to a mix of personal and professional circumstances. With stability returning in 2025, I was able to take on more clients and more projects of varying sizes, and that accelerated my learning dramatically.
This article summarizes seven recurring problems I’ve seen either nearly destroy projects or directly cause their cancellation. I call them the 7 Deadly Sins of Software Engineering.