How Clean Architecture saved my sanity

Written by: Manish Tuladhar , Senior Software Engineer

If you’ve ever looked at your code and thought, “What is this mess?!” you’re not alone. When I started, I was laser-focused on getting things done rather than how they got done. This approach worked fine for small projects but fell apart as they grew and clients asked for new features. Suddenly, my “organized” project became a swamp of tangled code and late-night debugging sessions.

It was like trying to build a house with no blueprint—things just didn’t fit.

This is the story of how Clean Architecture didn’t just save my projects—it saved my sanity. By the end of this article, you’ll understand how it can do the same for you.

The Wild West of my codebase

At first, I didn’t give much thought to organizing my code. I’d name folders and files following a simple MVC architecture, and if I could get away without explaining functions, I’d be happy.?

My codebase was like a messy closet where I’d grab whatever I needed, hoping to make it work. It was efficient—until it wasn’t. As the project grew, every new feature was a gamble. One change here, and something broke over there.

At one point, I added a new feature, and half of the existing features suddenly stopped working. I found myself playing detective, trying to understand what was happening.

As developer John F. Woods famously said, “Always code as if the person who ends up maintaining your code is a violent psychopath who knows where you live.”

I was starting to think my future self would plan to show up with a pitchfork.

My “Aha!” moment

That’s when I stumbled upon Clean Architecture—a structured approach to coding that isn’t just about making code look neat. It’s about designing a system that’s easy to maintain, test, and extend.

Let’s go back to imagining the codebase as a messy closet. At first, you just shove stuff in there, hoping you’ll find the right thing when you need it. But after a while, you can’t find anything, and you start dreading opening the door. Clean Architecture is like organizing that closet into categories: shirts, shoes, and jackets, so you can find exactly what you need without digging through a pile of chaos.

Uncle Bob's Wisdom

Clean Architecture, coined by Uncle Bob Martin, is all about the separation of concerns, dividing your app into layers that each handle a specific responsibility.?

As Uncle Bob wisely said, “The only way to go fast is to go well.” That’s the heart of this architecture—building something that doesn’t collapse under pressure.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Entities (Core business logic): This is the beating heart of the application, where the main, framework-free business rules live. Think of it as a VIP room, where only the essential stuff is allowed.
2. Use cases (Application logic): This layer runs the app’s actions, like directing data between parts of the system. It’s like a command center, keeping core logic safe from messy outside influences.?
3. Interface adapters (Adapters/controllers): This layer acts as a translator that takes messy data from the outside world and turns it into something useful for your core business logic. It transforms data from one format to another so it can move smoothly between the outer and inner layers.
4. Frameworks and Drivers (Infrastructure layer):?Here’s where all the external stuff (databases, tools, third-party services) live. Keeping it separate means you can swap out tools without touching core logic.

Refactoring a 4-year-old legacy project

One of the toughest projects I had to tackle was a four-year-old legacy system weighed down by technical debt, outdated libraries, and chaotic logic scattered everywhere.

Imagine trying to read a book with all the pages mixed up—that’s how it felt working with this codebase.

Before: The challenges

Before refactoring, the project was plagued by tightly coupled functions, outdated libraries, and a lack of documentation, making changes risky and the codebase hard to navigate. The scattered, inconsistent RBAC implementation further added to the chaos, with duplicated, error-prone logic that was difficult to maintain and extend. Here is a simple example of how it used to look:

User class:

Post management use case:

After: Clean RBAC with encapsulation

Using Clean Architecture, we encapsulated role-specific behavior in the Entities layer, allowing the use cases to focus on their core responsibilities. Role-based permissions were handled polymorphically through inheritance.

Entities

Post management use case:

How Clean Architecture can change your life

• Readability and maintainability: Having clear boundaries makes it easy to see where each function and feature lives. Each layer has a single purpose, making it easy to navigate, debug, and extend.
• Modularity and flexibility: Changing one layer doesn’t disrupt the whole system. Want to replace a library? Go ahead—thanks to the Infrastructure Layer, the core logic remains untouched.
• Documentation that writes itself: The architecture itself serves as a guide. By organizing code into layers, it’s clear what goes where. Each class name and layer spells out its purpose.
• Collaboration made easy: With multiple developers, Clean Architecture creates a shared understanding. Everyone knows where to find the right code.

Avoiding common pitfalls

While Clean Architecture saved my sanity, it’s easy to fall into some traps when implementing it. Here’s what I learned:

1. It’s not about folder structures: Don’t group files by type (e.g., all controllers in one folder)—instead, group by feature to keep related functionality together.
2. Don’t overdo abstraction: Unnecessary layers can make your code harder to follow. Use abstraction where it adds value, not just for the sake of it.
3. It’s a process, not a one-time fix: Clean Architecture isn’t something you “apply” and walk away from. It’s an ongoing effort. Every new feature or change should respect the architecture, and sometimes you’ll have to make trade-offs for practical reasons.

Final thoughts

As the saying goes, “Code is like a relationship. If you’re not maintaining it, it’s going to break down.” Clean Architecture was the relationship advice my code desperately needed.

It taught me that Clean Architecture isn’t just about neat syntax or refactoring—it’s about creating a system where future developers (including future-me) can build on what’s there without ripping their hair out. Whether it was a legacy project drowning in technical debt or a new app full of promise, Clean Architecture made it scalable, testable, and maintainable.

So, if you’re dealing with a project that feels like it’s on the edge of falling apart, give Clean Architecture a try. It’s not about writing perfect code—it’s about writing code that can grow and adapt. And hey, your future self (and every other developer who touches that code) will thank you.

What are your thoughts on this piece? Let us know in the comments, or reach out to Manish Tuladhar via LinkedIn.