Dynamics of Software Development, Second Edition

The Last Word

If I had to come up with one conclusive thought, it would be, Development develops developers.

But the really appropriate last word comes from the classic ending of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Jake, the Jack Nicholson character, is baffled and upset over the psychological and emotional enormities he’s just undergone. His sidekick rallies Jake with a summing up of the entire experience. “C’mon, Jake,” he says, “it’s Chinatown.”

Of course, there is no last word on software development. You have to go back to the beginning of the book (and of the game) and start all over on the next level.

But remember, Jake, it’s software...