# \*People\* detangle a ball of mud

DevFeed: [\*People\* detangle a ball of mud](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/people-detangle-a-ball-of-mud-37632.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://swizec.com/blog/people-detangle-a-ball-of-mud>)

Author: hi@swizec.com (Swizec Teller)

Published: 2025-11-15T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Swizec Teller](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/swizec-teller.md>)

Topics: [Architecture & Design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/architecture-design.md>), [software-architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-architecture.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [async](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/async.md>), [complexity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/complexity.md>), [decoupling](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/decoupling.md>), [ownership](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ownership.md>), [patterns](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/patterns.md>), [processes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/processes.md>), [pull-requests](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pull-requests.md>), [software-architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-architecture.md>), [teams](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/teams.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion argues that teams and processes, rather than a lone architect, are the best way to gradually untangle a deteriorating "ball of mud" codebase. Giving teams ownership, allowing space for refactoring, formalizing recurring patterns, and discussing interfaces before coding can encourage decoupled subsystems.

## Source excerpt

Ball of mud is the world's most popular software architecture. The one we all use at work. But it sucks to work with. So what do you do?