learning to say no for stack creep

Programmers love the new stuff. That is a technical term: new stuff.

At any part of your tech stack if there is a new thing and you have a programmer working on it you can almost guarantee he is wanting to update it, change it for something new or completely re-write it.

If you are the architect/business owner/product owner you have to learn to say no to these suggestions. And if you are the programmer you need to curb your own desires and not even make the suggestion.

There is a high cost for technology spread. If you love X and you bring X into our stack. How many other people know X? Can I hire people who know X? What about the bus factor if you are the only person who knows X? Will I immediately want to replace X after you leave?

Older reliable tech is almost always the best choice. And that tech might not even be reliable. Maybe older known tech is the better wording.

There can be a point where you need to switch/upgrade/refactor but it should not be a quick choice.