The enlightenment moment is when you realize that messy code that models the business domain well is far, far easier to maintain than clean code that lives in its own clean code bubble. The former can be cleaned at any time. The latter will immediately revert to a state of pandemonium on the next requirements change.
This isn't the main thrust of Sandi Metz's famous "All The Little Things" talk, but it's front-and-center in the approach she takes to cleaning up the code. Half the talk - basically all the parts where she keeps mentioning, "You'll notice our complexity metrics are still getting worse even though the code is getting better" - largely consists of getting the way the software models the business domain whipped into shape.
Or, to go full analogy, no number of trips to The Container Store will leave your house feeling clean and organized if half your possessions are junk that you don't need and the furniture arrangement is awful.
This isn't the main thrust of Sandi Metz's famous "All The Little Things" talk, but it's front-and-center in the approach she takes to cleaning up the code. Half the talk - basically all the parts where she keeps mentioning, "You'll notice our complexity metrics are still getting worse even though the code is getting better" - largely consists of getting the way the software models the business domain whipped into shape.
Or, to go full analogy, no number of trips to The Container Store will leave your house feeling clean and organized if half your possessions are junk that you don't need and the furniture arrangement is awful.