Today I Learned: Spike

10 Oct 2026 - Warren Mar

Today I learned what a spike is. Claude was asking if I wante a spike? What the hell is a spike? Apparently it is a quick throwaway test out some idea to inform your design. I never heard of the term before. The best date I can find is 1999 from the C2 wiki. I don’t like the term, it seems like a dangerous and pointy word. I don’t want to be anywhere near a spike, because I’m worried I’ll poke my eye out or step on it like a caltrop.

Since code is cheap, spikes are cheap. Spikes all around.