http://www.marekj.com/2007/07/argument-against-waterfall/ cooperative software production infrastructure building Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:41:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.marekj.com/2007/07/argument-against-waterfall/#comment-4261 Gregory Robinson Mon, 19 May 2008 10:56:56 +0000 http://www.marekj.com/2007/07/14/argument-against-waterfall/#comment-4261 Great Post! Great Post!

]]> http://www.marekj.com/2007/07/argument-against-waterfall/#comment-3247 dkemp Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:30:09 +0000 http://www.marekj.com/2007/07/14/argument-against-waterfall/#comment-3247 It is difficult to imagine a project where results are repeatable. Haveing spent the past ten years testing software on teams using every methodology known to man including no apperent methodology. Waterfall, iterative, its just a label that all equals teams running around like heads with their chickens cut off stomping out fires. I recall a conversation with my Test Manager about process where I had suggested we attempt to 'plan' how we intend to impact quality. I said, "We are always reactive; why not proactive?" He said "When the house is burning down around you you need to get as many people as possible to help throw water on it." I said, "If the house if fully engulfed and the outcome obvious isn't it more productive to walk away and build a better house that is more fire resistent?" I was thinking about the 'Three Little Pigs' fairy tale. He said, "The people who pay the bills for that house are paying for us to bail water, not build a better house." How do you argue with that logic? This scenario plays out every release leaving a chared pile of half built product nobody wants to occupy. The customer is paying the bills and therefore has every right to burn it to the ground and complain to us that they aren't happy with the result. They could care less about managing process unless it makes them look productive and can keep getting paid. The idea that 'processes' alone make better software is in my opinion an academics argument that has no chance of survival in a real world situation where millions of dollars are at stake and the people shoveling the pile (paying the bills)haven't commited to it. The money doesn't care what labels we use or about process. All they want is happy people buying their product like hotcakes and paying them big bucks for it. Screw process! Make yourself look busy and keep bailing! Is the check good? Whats to worry about process? Oiy. It is difficult to imagine a project where results are repeatable. Haveing spent the past ten years testing software on teams using every methodology known to man including no apperent methodology. Waterfall, iterative, its just a label that all equals teams running around like heads with their chickens cut off stomping out fires. I recall a conversation with my Test Manager about process where I had suggested we attempt to ‘plan’ how we intend to impact quality. I said, “We are always reactive; why not proactive?” He said “When the house is burning down around you you need to get as many people as possible to help throw water on it.” I said, “If the house if fully engulfed and the outcome obvious isn’t it more productive to walk away and build a better house that is more fire resistent?” I was thinking about the ‘Three Little Pigs’ fairy tale. He said, “The people who pay the bills for that house are paying for us to bail water, not build a better house.” How do you argue with that logic? This scenario plays out every release leaving a chared pile of half built product nobody wants to occupy. The customer is paying the bills and therefore has every right to burn it to the ground and complain to us that they aren’t happy with the result. They could care less about managing process unless it makes them look productive and can keep getting paid. The idea that ‘processes’ alone make better software is in my opinion an academics argument that has no chance of survival in a real world situation where millions of dollars are at stake and the people shoveling the pile (paying the bills)haven’t commited to it. The money doesn’t care what labels we use or about process. All they want is happy people buying their product like hotcakes and paying them big bucks for it. Screw process! Make yourself look busy and keep bailing! Is the check good? Whats to worry about process? Oiy.

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