Let’s talk about self-checkout machines again.

Because they reveal something slightly uncomfortable.

They’re Not Always Better

• You scan your own items
• You bag them
• You fix errors

Congrats—you’re now working for the supermarket.

Unpaid.

And yet… people choose this.

Why?

Because it feels faster.

This is called: "Perceived efficiency vs actual efficiency"

And self-service platforms do the same thing.

In Engineering Terms

Compare:

Old way:

1. Create ticket
2. Wait 1-2 days
3. Infra team provisions DB

Self-service:

1. Click button
2. Wait 5 minutes
3. Done

Even if the backend automation still takes time… The experience feels instant.

Why This Matters

Developers optimize for:

• Flow state
• Momentum
• Reduced interruptions

Waiting kills all three. Self-service preserves them.

And that’s more valuable than raw speed.

The Subtle Trade-Off

Of course, there’s a cost:

1. Developers now “do more themselves”
2. Platforms must be well-designed
3. Poor UX = instant rejection

Bad self-service is worse than no self-service. (Just like a broken checkout machine.)

Takeaway

Self-service doesn’t eliminate work. It redistributes it—while making it feel better.

And in engineering, perception often beats reality.