Extreme Programming Explained

Chapter 6. Learning to Drive

We need to control the development of software by making many small adjustments, not by making a few large adjustments, kind of like driving a car. This means that we will need the feedback to know when we are a little off, we will need many opportunities to make corrections, and we will have to be able to make those corrections at a reasonable cost.

Now we have the general shape of the problem—the tremendous cost of risk, and the opportunity to manage that risk through options—and the resource needed to shape the solution: the freedom to make changes later in the cycle without significantly increased cost. Now we need to begin to bring the solution into focus. The first thing we need is a metaphor, a shared story ...