Software developers are infamous for not being good estimators. They say programmers have three timelines they work with: “done”, “not started” and “nearly finished”. It is easy to get caught up in the implementation details and not know exactly how long it will take to wrap up the task. Time boxing can be very helpful …
Continue reading “Why Short Iterations Work”
Read MoreAlthough his life came to a tragic end I have a great admiration for Ignaz Semmelweis. You’ve probably never heard of him but most of us owe our lives to him. He was the Australian physician who helped popularize sterilization practices that surgeons use today. I can’t even imagine how he must have been ridiculed …
Continue reading “Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands”
Read MoreAs an agile developer I still prototype but I tend to do it differently than in the past. I now make a distinction between a prototype and a proof-of-concept. A proof-of-concept is code that verifies an approach to solving a problem. I use a proof-of-concept as a sanity check to make sure I am taking …
Continue reading “Agile Prototyping on a Napkin”
Read MoreI am a big believer in prototyping. The quicker I can get functionality to my users the better. I often find that it helps my users visualize how to use the system I am building and often this will lead to useful feedback. However, I do have a caveat when building prototypes for customers—make sure …
Continue reading “Prototyping Caveat”
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