Data compounds like interest
Data is compound interest.
Two weeks ago I built a database: 22.7 million events, 497K player stat records, 27,500 games across 8 seasons. For one product.
Then in 48 hours, I built a second product on top of the same data. New model, new calculations, validation — from zero to working prototype. 100 tests passing. Same data.
Experts estimated this work at 90-150 hours. It took ~12. Not because I'm a genius, but because:
- The data was already in PostgreSQL — one JOIN away from a new product
- Claude Code — AI handles 80% of routine work, I focus on architecture
- 10+ years in the domain — I don't need to figure out what the numbers mean
The takeaway is simple: investment in data pays off non-linearly. The first product on a database costs weeks. The second — hours. The third will be even faster.
If you're building in data — don't cut corners on the foundation. It will pay off in ways you can't see yet.