Balancing stakeholder demands with code quality requires a strategic approach that satisfies both business needs and technical integrity. Start by setting clear expectations—educate stakeholders on the importance of maintainable, high-quality code and align on realistic timelines. Adopt agile methodologies to deliver incremental updates, allowing flexibility while ensuring stability. Leverage automated testing and continuous integration to catch issues early, maintaining quality without compromising speed. Prioritizing both communication and technical best practices ensures a sustainable development process that meets stakeholder expectations without sacrificing code reliability.

Quality gates in architecture governance don't need to slow down delivery! Think of technical debt like structural debt in buildings - invisible until it's catastrophic. Modern architectural patterns (hexagonal, clean architecture) combined with automated quality metrics help balance both worlds. Implementation of proper architectural runways in SAFe can actually accelerate delivery while maintaining quality. Key is establishing clear "definition of done" that includes both functional and non-functional requirements. Don't forget - technical excellence isn't opposite to business agility, it enables it! 🏗️

There’s no real need to balance stakeholder demands with quality—if non-functional requirements (NFRs) are properly analyzed. If today you have one customer with N transactions, and in six months, M customers with N transactions, architects should already be looking beyond that. An MVP should be built with this in mind. If you’re dealing with an old system that needs regular maintenance, you can always carve out efforts for it. Prioritization is simple: consider time-to-market, the impact of not doing it, and move forward.

Balancing stakeholder demands with code quality requires clear communication, prioritization, and automation. Align development goals with business objectives by setting realistic expectations. Use Agile methodologies to iterate quickly while maintaining quality. Implement code reviews, automated testing, and CI/CD pipelines to catch issues early. Educate stakeholders on the long-term benefits of maintainable code to secure buy-in. Ultimately, balance speed and quality by leveraging technical best practices while aligning with business needs.

We have to understand that our base is the functional requirements, everything else has to be built on top of that. If we don't have a product that fully meets our user criteria, we don't have a product at all. This means that we have to make sure that the source code is very well structured and maintainable to keep up with our functional requirements and avoid technical debt. I would make a priority list, focus on the critical requirements, and make all technical decisions accordingly. We can avoid bad practices and still meet requirements if we have a good work culture, metologies, engaged and well-communicated teams, and good leadership.