What is Bus Factor?
The number of team members who would need to leave before critical knowledge is lost.
Why It Matters
A low bus factor means your project is at risk if key people become unavailable.
Real-World Example
If only one developer understands the payment system, the bus factor for that system is one.
“Understanding terms like Bus Factor matters because it helps you have better conversations with developers and make smarter decisions about your software. You do not need to be technical. You just need to know enough to ask the right questions.”
Related Terms
Code Review
Having other developers examine your code changes before they're merged
Pair Programming
Two developers working together at one computer, with one writing code and the other reviewing in real time.
Technical Debt
Shortcuts or quick fixes in code that work now but will need to be properly fixed later
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Related Terms
Technical Debt
Shortcuts or quick fixes in code that work now but will need to be properly fixed later
Code Review
Having other developers examine your code changes before they're merged
Pair Programming
Two developers working together at one computer, with one writing code and the other reviewing in real time.
Full-stack
Working on both the frontend (what users see) and backend (the server and database) of an application
TypeScript
JavaScript with added type checking that catches errors before your code runs
JavaScript
The programming language that makes websites interactive and dynamic