The present disclosure includes methods and devices for operating a solid state drive. One method embodiment includes receiving an indication of a desired number of write input/output operations (IOPs) per unit time performed by the solid state drive. The method can also include managing the number of write IOPs performed by the solid state drive at least partially based on the desired number of write IOPs per unit time, a number of spare blocks in the solid state drive, and a desired operational life for the solid state drive.