Tesugen

Idea Dump

More ideas and thoughts from the backlog.

  • Frequently you see statistics on how many software projects fail, such as from the Standish Group, but I wonder how many of these were thought to have failed because of too optimistic and premature estimates.
  • Related to this: What is it about the contract software development business that almost inevitably turns a project that began with openness and two parties working toward the same goal, into one where the parties compete and distrust the other. At some point, the initial rough estimates become promises, when in fact they were nothing more than guesses about the future. Why is it so hard to see the obvious solution: to look back at the past week or two, to see how much closer towards the goal we have reached, and ask ourselves: “What can we do to maintain or increase this pace?”
  • Fixed time and scope contracts are seen as a bad thing, but when the involved parties drifts apart, when distrust enters and estimates turn into promises – then you get fixed time and fixed scope, and very uncreative working conditions.
  • A significant part of software architecture is aligning the expectations of those involved.

The above was posted to my personal weblog on April 10, 2005. My name is Peter Lindberg and I am a thirtysomething software developer and dad living in Stockholm, Sweden. Here, you’ll find posts in English and Swedish about whatever happens to interest me for the moment.

Posted around the same time:

The seven most recent posts:

  1. Tesugen Replaced (October 7)
  2. My Year of MacBook Troubles (May 16)
  3. Tesugen Turns Five (March 21)
  4. Gustaf Nordenskiöld om keramik kontra kläddesign (December 10, 2006)
  5. Se till att ha två buffertar för oförutsedda utgifter (October 30, 2006)
  6. Bra tips för den som vill börja fondspara (October 7, 2006)
  7. Light-Hearted Parenting Tips (September 16, 2006)
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