My friend Sal taught me something I’ll never forget.
He compared code comments to labeling a squeaky jar.
Simple idea. Big impact.
You open the codebase. Something feels off. A function that behaves strangely. A query that runs slow. A pattern that makes you pause.
Instead of fixing it right away or ignoring it, you just label it.
“This jar squeaks.”
That’s it.
No drama. No guilt. No blame.
Just a signpost for the next person.
Here’s what happens over time.
Your team starts trusting the codebase more. They know what to expect. They stop wasting time guessing. They stop repeating the same discoveries.
Small labels create big safety.
They say: we see the mess, we’re honest about it, and we care enough to warn you.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s about openness.
Next time you spot something squeaky in your code, don’t walk past it. Don’t let it surprise the next developer.
Just label the jar.
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