Writing

Notes from building it.

Mostly about the unglamorous parts - why stock counts drift, why we keep ended listings, and where we decided the software should stop and a person should start.

How it works4 August 20264 min read
Why the same part gets sold twice
Overselling is not carelessness. It is what happens when the stock count exists in more than one place and the copies are reconciled on a schedule.
Product decisions28 July 20263 min read
Why we keep ended listings for ninety days
It is not nostalgia and it is not analytics. It is eBay's return window, and the day you need the record is the day you are being asked to prove something.
Product decisions19 July 20264 min read
The agent drafts. It does not decide.
Why every listing waits for a person, and why that constraint is a feature rather than a limitation we have not got round to removing.

Notes from building it.

Why the same part gets sold twice

Why we keep ended listings for ninety days

The agent drafts. It does not decide.