Dynamics of Software Development, Second Edition

Opening Moves

Many books on software development describe project beginnings as if they took place in an ideal world. (This is true of descriptions of middles and ends, too, as far as that goes, but we’ll debunk those assumptions when we come to them.) The team is presumed to be focused, rested, and in touch with the nature of the assignment. They gather requirements, create designs, and conduct iterative prototyping work; they solicit customer involvement and perform in-depth analysis of the technical problems posed by the requirements of the current project. Things are tidy, possibilities unlimited. Unfortunately, these presumptions aren’t anything like the grim scene most of us encounter in the early stages of a new project.

And not only ...