Definition of Software Development Success

You can’t build a huge perfect thing all in one go.

You can’t work in a team on huge things and expect them to connect together after long delays.

Software development is part construction, part curation, and part discovery. We come up with a good idea, try something of it out, refine the good bits, expand the essentials and continue until some definition of finished.

All of the above boils down to a simple set of principles:

• Make small, simple things that you believe you need
• Integrate them with the whole ALL THE TIME
• Define increments measured in minutes (or small numbers of hours)
• Aim for the software changes on your own computer to be stable in increments of seconds (or small numbers of minutes)
• Continuously review and refine the shortest route to the goal

Remember to Keep Your Eyes on The Prize.