“If Only We Had a Method!”

Isn’t it so, that, in doing anything, if only we pay attention to what works, and what doesn’t, a Method will emerge?

Take the movie industry. There’s no formally described Standard Method for creating films, but still there are several practices that have gained wide adoption, virtual standardhood. Such as the format of movie scripts:

And the use of storyboards:

In software, however, the approach has been, for so long, to try to devise a method. At the same time, many have thought that, “If only we had a Method, we would be able to deliver on time, with all the features, but without bugs, and within budget.”

And whenever a method is introduced, developers try to adopt it, but often fail and return to how they did things before. While still keeping up appearances: “Oh, we’re doing Method X here. We’re on top of things!”

Why did paying attention, and constantly improving, work for the movie industry? Both industries has boomed, but was competition really as fierce in IT as during the early years in movies? In software, much of the work is contracting, and still many projects are initiated, and then proceed without much interaction with the client. “When will it be ready?” the client asks. “Oh, any day now.”

In movies, it was, and often is, hit or miss. Each film could be a huge success, or it could flop and bring the whole studio down. In software, many projects just run over time, exceed budgets, upset the client, and eventually are terminated, hopefully with not too much disappointment on the client’s part.

Has it to do with contracting? That once a contract is signed, the incentive to improve is gone, if it ever was there. Had it been different if it was a product developed for a market? That could either hit or miss?