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Software testing as an indie-hacker (Pros and cons) TECH There's a debate on X the last week about whether or not small projects built by indie hackers need to test their code before releasing their product to paying customers.

Pros
Customer Trust and Satisfaction: Ensuring that your software works as intended builds trust with your customers.
Maintenance Costs: Bugs discovered after release can be costly and time-consuming to fix. They may also require urgent patches, which can disrupt your workflow and increase maintenance costs.
Scalability: As your user base grows, so does the complexity of your codebase and the potential for issues. A solid testing regimen helps ensure your software scales effectively without introducing new problems.
Ethical Considerations: Even if your software isn't used in high-stakes environments like banking or healthcare, there are still ethical and potentially legal obligations to ensure it works as advertised.
Cons
Shipping without testing can lead to significant risks and potential long-term issues.
While "ship fast" is a popular mantra, balancing speed with quality is crucial.
Higher Risk of Bugs and Failures: Without testing, the likelihood of releasing software with bugs, performance issues, or critical failures increases significantly.
Releasing without testing can lead to customer dissatisfaction, negative reviews, and damage to your reputation.
Without testing the indie developer can become overwhelmed with bugs while having to develop new feature - giving more chances to fatigue.
Implementing a testing framework and writing initial tests can be daunting. It might seem like extra work that takes away from building new features or focusing on other aspects of your project.
As your codebase evolves, maintaining tests can become a burden. Tests may need to be updated with every change, and keeping them relevant and reliable requires ongoing effort.
For complex applications, especially those with many integrations, testing can become complex and require sophisticated setups, which might be overwhelming for a solo developer.