Exit costs and lock-in
On This Lesson 4 topics
This lesson is planned. The outline below lists the topics it will cover. The full lesson has not been published yet.
In this lesson
estimate how hard it would be to leave a choice.
Planned topics
- Lock-in sources: proprietary APIs and data formats, workflow definitions in a vendor language, skills, contracts.
- Estimate exit cost: what to rewrite, migrate, and retrain; how long; what runs in parallel.
- Reduce it with thin abstractions at the right level, open formats, and data export tests.
- Some lock-in is fine when the benefit is large; decide knowingly and record it.
Draft outline details
Demonstration
Exit plan outline: triggers to leave, data export path, parts to rewrite, estimated effort, how to test the exit (export a sample and re-import).
Check your understanding
Is lock-in always bad?
Show answer
No; accept it when the benefit outweighs the exit cost, and record that choice.
Practice
Apply this lesson with the module's lab, exercises and quiz.
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