Aren’t ADRs just more process?

Only if you let them be. Keep them to one page, store them in-repo, and link them in PRs. The point isn’t ceremony; it’s creating a durable why behind changes that impact many teams.

What if a team needs to deviate from the paved road?

Allow exceptions with an ADR and an expiration date. If the deviation persists and benefits others, fold it back into the paved road as a new version.

We don’t have Backstage/ArgoCD. Can we still do this?

Yes. Start with template repos, reusable CI workflows, and Renovate. Add GitOps and cataloging later. The key is encoding defaults and enforcing them with automation.

How do we measure success?

Track platform scorecards: adherence to templates, % services on standard modules, time-to-bootstrap, failed deployment rate, MTTR, and number of repos updated per global change. You should see fewer exceptions and faster refactors within 1–2 quarters.

What’s the first paved-road module to build?

Observability. Standardize logging/tracing/metrics (OpenTelemetry + JSON logs + OTLP). It pays back immediately in MTTR and debugging speed.

Platform-productivity · Oct 13, 2025 · 9 minute read

Stop Playing Config Whack‑a‑Mole: ADRs + Paved Roads That Make Refactors Boring

Favor boring, paved-road defaults over bespoke snowflakes. Write ADRs, enforce with templates and bots, and make global refactors routine instead of risky.

Riley Morgan

Principal Engineer, GitPlumbers

20 years turning legacy tangles and AI-assisted spaghetti into boring, reliable platforms. Ex-Netflix platform, ex-Stripe SRE. Still allergic to bespoke CLIs.

Boring is a feature. When refactors are boring, your weekends stay yours.

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Stop Playing Config Whack‑a‑Mole: ADRs + Paved Roads That Make Refactors Boring

Key takeaways

Implementation checklist