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Expo 25 is a textbook example of a poorly managed software system, both in technical execution and decision-making
Lessons that software solopreneurs can learn: Be Simple and Practical, with an E2E testing mindset.
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I’ll be attending Expo 2025 in three days. In this article, I want to share some frustrations I’ve encountered with the Expo’s software systems so far. After yet another disappointing experience today, I realized that Expo 2025 exhibits several familiar anti-patterns commonly found in failed software projects.
1. Over Budget and Delays.
In the software world, we use “over time and over budget” to describe a failed software implementation. Expo 25 certainly met the criteria.
“The Games were likewise plagued by budget overruns, and auditors pegged the final cost at 1.7 trillion yen (S$15.7 billion), which was 130 per cent higher than early estimates.” — Source: The Straits Times (2023–11)
On the opening day (April 13, 2025), some pavilions — such as India’s — were still under construction.
