Writing code is easy — maintaining it is where things break

Most developers learn how to write code long before they learn how to maintain it.
At the beginning, everything feels clean: fresh files, clear logic, no legacy.

Then time passes.

Features stack on top of each other.
Deadlines shorten.
“Temporary solutions” become permanent.

Maintenance is where real software quality is revealed.
Not in clever algorithms, but in readability, structure, and restraint.

Good developers don’t just ask “Does it work?”
They ask “Will someone else understand this six months from now?”

When did you first realize that maintenance matters more than clever code?