Sproken
B1Spanish·20 cards

Trade-offs and Tech Debt

Weigh up technical options and argue about tech debt using the idioms Spanish developers really use.

Spanish tech meetings are direct and full of everyday idioms: pan para hoy y hambre para mañana, meterse en un berenjenal, pasar factura. Colleagues use tú and vosotros with each other and with the CTO. The cards follow a planning meeting at a Valencia startup choosing between a quick fix and doing it properly.

Three professionals in a productive meeting at a Valencia office, discussing strategy and collaboration.
Photo: GB The Green Brand on Pexels
  1. 1

    Aquí tenemos dos opciones sobre la mesa.

    We've got two options on the table here.

  2. 2

    La primera es más rápida, pero es pan para hoy y hambre para mañana.

    The first is faster, but it's a short-term fix that'll cost us later.

  3. 3

    Cada opción tiene sus pros y sus contras.

    Each option has its pros and cons.

  4. 4

    Depender de una librería externa es un arma de doble filo.

    Depending on an external library is a double-edged sword.

  5. 5

    Ya sabes, quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.

    You know, if you try to do everything, you do nothing well.

  6. 6

    Eso nos va a pasar factura.

    That's going to come back to bite us.

  7. 7

    Estamos acumulando deuda técnica.

    We're piling up tech debt.

  8. 8

    Eso es un apaño.

    That's a bodge job.

  9. 9

    Oye, no hace falta reinventar la rueda.

    Look, there's no need to reinvent the wheel.

  10. 10

    Depende de lo que prioricemos.

    It depends on what we prioritise.

  11. 11

    A la larga nos ahorrará tiempo.

    In the long run it'll save us time.

  12. 12

    Para tres usuarios, no merece la pena.

    For three users, it's not worth it.

  13. 13

    Si lo hacemos así, matamos dos pájaros de un tiro.

    If we do it this way, we kill two birds with one stone.

  14. 14

    Tocar el login ahora es meterse en un berenjenal.

    Touching the login now is opening a can of worms.

  15. 15

    Yo iría a lo seguro.

    I'd play it safe.

  16. 16

    Eso ya lo veremos sobre la marcha.

    We'll figure that out as we go.

  17. 17

    Más vale hecho que perfecto.

    Better done than perfect.

  18. 18

    Bueno, es tres cuartos de lo mismo, ¿no?

    Well, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other, isn't it?

  19. 19

    Hay que hacer de tripas corazón y refactorizar.

    We need to bite the bullet and refactor.

  20. 20

    Vamos a dejarlo por escrito para que no se nos olvide.

    Let's put it in writing so we don't forget.