# Saron Yitbarek: The Balance Between Maintainable Code and Multiple Streams of Income

EP-184 | September 24, 2024 | 41:20




Saron Yitbarek dives into the art of balancing code maintainability with financial independence. Hear how she built DiscoLink and embraced multiple streams of income—all while navigating the challenges of running a startup.





## Show Notes

In this episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby sits down with [Saron Yitbarek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saronyitbarek/), founder and CEO of [DiscoLink](https://www.discolink.com/), to explore the challenges of maintaining early-stage software while balancing multiple streams of income. Saron shares her journey from being a solo developer to hiring her first teammate and the lessons learned along the way about code maintainability and business logic.

### Episode Highlights

- [00:05:32] **Introduction to Saron's Background:** Robby and Saron discuss her startup, DiscoLink, and the initial development of its MVP.
- [00:10:50] **The Importance of Context in Code:** Saron emphasizes why understanding the business decisions behind code is crucial for maintainability.
- [00:15:10] **Onboarding a New Developer:** Saron shares her experience hiring her first developer and how it changed her approach to software maintenance.
- [00:20:32] **Multiple Streams of Income:** Saron explains her motivation behind building DiscoLink to help professionals manage different revenue streams.
- [00:25:40] **Transparency Around Money:** A candid conversation about developers’ fears around charging for their work and how to overcome them.
- [00:30:45] **Ethics and Side Projects:** Robby and Saron discuss ethical considerations when working on side projects while employed full-time.
- [00:35:12] **How Podcasting Shaped Saron's Career:** Saron talks about how being a podcast host impacted her career growth and networking.

### Key Takeaways

- **Maintainability Beyond Code:** Saron highlights the importance of documenting not just the code but also the business rationale behind decisions.
- **Onboarding Challenges:** Bringing a new developer into a solo-built project requires strong communication, context sharing, and flexible documentation practices.
- **The Power of Multiple Income Streams:** Saron’s vision with DiscoLink focuses on helping tech professionals build financial security through various revenue channels.
- **Confronting Money Anxiety:** Many developers struggle with charging for their work, but transparency and community conversations help break down those barriers.
- **Ethical Side Projects:** It's important to consider the ethical implications of using work-learned skills for personal projects.

### Resources

- [Saron Yitbarek on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saronyitbarek/)
- [Saron Yitbarek on Twitter](https://twitter.com/saronyitbarek)
- [DiscoLink Website](https://www.discolink.com/)
- Book Recommendation: [Formerly Known as Food](https://kristinlawless.com/about-the-book) by Kristin Lawless

Links:

- My newsletter: [https://themultihyphenate.ck.page/newsletter](https://themultihyphenate.ck.page/newsletter)

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## Transcript