Explore crucial software engineering tradeoffs in this GOTO Book Club interview with Tomasz Lelek and Mark Rendle. Delve into real-world scenarios covering code performance vs. simplicity, delivery speed vs. duplication, and flexibility vs. maintainability. Learn from experienced developers about date-time challenges, code duplication impacts, microservices with Protobuf, and third-party dependency management. Gain insights on applying the 80/20 Pareto principle for optimization and ensuring consistency in distributed systems. Discover how to make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and develop a more thoughtful approach to software development based on years of industry experience.