There’s 1 word that starts a lot of IT fights

This week felt like one long reminder that growth brings new layers of friction. On one hand, things are moving beautifully - more visibility in the fintech world, more discovery calls, and more people wanting to work with us. It’s the kind of momentum that feels both validating and energising.

But on the other hand, I’ve been trying to build deeper relationships within the Japanese fintech ecosystem, and the communication gap is real.

It’s not about intent; people are warm and open, but language limitations slow things down. Conversations require more patience, more care, and more structure.

And somewhere in the middle of all this, I relearned a lesson I’ve bumped into many times this year: some people simply don’t respect your time.

If you don’t draw boundaries early, no one draws them for you.

That theme, communication and boundaries, ties perfectly into today’s topic.

The Most Dangerous Word in IT Contracts

There is one word that causes more conflict in IT agreements than scope creep, delays, or even unpaid invoices.

It’s not “deployment.” It’s not “support.” It’s not “testing.” It’s “maintenance.”

A word everyone uses, yet almost no one defines. Inside an IT company, “maintenance” usually means something familiar: fixing bugs, patching security issues, ensuring uptime, and keeping the system stable. It’s a technical, behind-the-scenes responsibility.

But once the product goes live, the client often interprets the same word very differently. Their definition quietly expands, sometimes intentionally, often unknowingly, until it includes far more than what was ever discussed.

Suddenly, “maintenance” starts covering:

• UI cleanups and UX tweaks

• Feature revisions and workflow updates

• New device compatibility

• Third-party integrations

• “Small changes” that actually require full development cycles

Clients don’t do this out of bad faith. They do it because the contract left a blank space, and blank spaces get filled by assumptions. And those assumptions always tilt in the client’s favour.

This is why communication, particularly in your contracts, becomes the backbone of your business. The companies that survive long-term are the ones that define every moving part before the work begins.

The Fix: Close the Gap Before It Costs You

If you want to protect your team, your time, and your margins, you need to define “maintenance” before the client defines it for you.

Here’s what IT companies should be doing every single time:

1. Define “maintenance” explicitly.

List exactly what it covers - bug fixes, uptime monitoring, performance stability, and anything else your team considers standard.

2. Separate maintenance from improvements.

Enhancements, integrations, UI changes, or new functionality should fall under paid development, not maintenance.

3. Add hour caps.

A maintenance retainer cannot be unlimited. Define monthly limits and require approval for anything beyond that.

4. Create priority levels.

Specify what counts as urgent, what response times look like, and how issues will be triaged. Clarity keeps expectations grounded.

5. Document every request.

Written records reduce arguments. When everything is tracked, no one can claim “we thought this was included.”

6. Require explicit consent for out-of-scope work.

Most clients are reasonable when boundaries are clear. Problems only arise when the contract leaves space for interpretation.

The Truth Most IT Teams Learn Too Late

The biggest problems in tech rarely come from the code. They come from assumptions.

They come from a single, undefined word that becomes ten times bigger once the client interprets it. They come from silence where clarity should have been.

The IT agencies that thrive long-term are not just great at building products - they’re great at drawing boundaries, stating definitions, and communicating expectations before the work begins.

It’s the same lesson my week taught me on the personal side as well - whether in cross-border collaboration or everyday business relationships, clarity protects you. Boundaries preserve your time. Communication keeps everything healthy.

Because if you don’t define what “maintenance” means, the client will. And their definition will always be bigger.

TL;DR

• “Maintenance” is the most dangerous undefined word in IT contracts.

• Clients and IT teams interpret it differently, leading to scope creep and frustration.

• Define exactly what maintenance includes and what it doesn’t.

• Separate maintenance from improvements and add limits, priorities, and documentation.

• Clear definitions protect your time, margins, and team.

Conclusion

Growth will always bring new opportunities, but it also brings new expectations, new communication gaps, and new places where misunderstandings can quietly grow.

The companies that survive are the ones that treat clarity as a strategy, not an afterthought.

When you define your boundaries clearly, you don’t just avoid conflict, you build trust, credibility, and long-term respect.

In IT and in life, the principle is the same: If you don’t set the definition, you won’t like the outcome.