Dictionary

custom snowball en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkʌstəm ˈsnoʊˌbɔl/

Etymology

From custom + snowball, referencing the snowball effect, where a rolling snowball gathers mass and momentum. Coined to describe how a small deviation from a standard process gathers complexity.

Meanings

1. (slang) A cascading chain reaction in which a single non-standard feature, modification, or workaround forces the creation of subsequent custom solutions to maintain compatibility, ultimately resulting in disproportionate complexity and technical debt.
   • Let's stick to the out-of-the-box template. I don't want to start a custom snowball right before the launch deadline.
   • We agreed to build a bespoke UI for that one client, but it turned into a massive custom snowball when we realized our standard backend couldn't process the new inputs.

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Relateds

scope creep · domino effect · yak shaving

custom snowball en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkʌstəm ˈsnoʊˌbɔl/

Etymology

From custom + snowball, referencing the snowball effect, where a rolling snowball gathers mass and momentum. Coined to describe how a small deviation from a standard process gathers complexity.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To rapidly increase in complexity due to cascading custom requirements.
   • What started as a quick script completely custom snowballed into a standalone application.

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