Spaghetti Code: Why Tangled Logic Slows Features (And How to Clean It Up)
Spaghetti code feels like a knot of wires. Everything connects to everything else, and tugging one end moves three others. AI app generation can create this without meaning to: it solves today’s request inside the nearest file, then does it again next time, until the logic is hard to trace. When features slow down or fixes keep breaking other parts, the code needs untangling.
How to spot spaghetti code
- You open a file and scroll for minutes to find the right part
- One screen handles loading, saving, navigation, and formatting
- A change in one place requires edits across several unrelated files
These are signs the app needs simpler, clearer paths.
A method for untangling
Pick the flow users touch most and make it easy to follow. Move each concern into its own place: one area for loading data, one for rendering, one for actions. Replace repeated logic with a shared piece. Give names that match what people see on the screen.
- Extract a shared form or list used in several places
- Move navigation decisions into a small helper
- Split giant files into smaller ones with one job each
Keep the change small and visible
You do not need to fix everything this week. Land one improvement and ship. The next change will be faster because the path is clearer. Momentum returns when the code reads the way the product feels.
If tangled logic has turned every change into a risk, Spin by fryga can help you target the areas that slow you down and leave you with a codebase that welcomes new features.
A focused untangle plan for one week
Day 1: Choose a single flow (for example, “create item”) and map its steps on paper. Mark where data loads, where actions happen, and where navigation changes.
Day 2: Extract a shared form used across create and edit. Give it one job: render fields and validate input.
Day 3: Move navigation decisions into a helper so success and cancel behave the same everywhere.
Day 4: Split one giant file; leave a note at the top that says where logic lives now.
Day 5: Ship and write two sentences on what got simpler. Use those notes to guide the next untangle.
What to avoid while untangling
- Big rewrites that delay shipping for weeks
- Renaming everything at once (rename as you touch files instead)
- Adding new features before the main flow is stable
Small, steady improvements beat heroic refactors every time.
Founder FAQs
Will this slow delivery? For a day or two, you’ll invest in clarity; after that, features land faster because the path is simple. Untangling is how you buy back speed.
Do we need a new architecture? Not usually. Most AI‑generated apps benefit from smaller files, shared pieces, and clearer names more than from sweeping changes.
Which flows should we untangle first? Start with the ones users touch most (onboarding, main list, edit/save). You’ll feel the improvement immediately.
Case study: unlocking a stalled feature
The team struggled to add “bulk edit” because the list handled fetching, selection, editing, and navigation in one file. They extracted a shared list component, moved selection into a helper, and kept editing in its own screen. Bulk edit landed in two days, and future changes took hours instead of weeks.