Delivering software in unpredictable (real) worldsPedro GamaTEDxEDGESPortimão, Oct 1st, 2010

Is building software a risky

business?

*picture from http://alibiblog.wordpress.com/category/software-development/

Usage ratio of delivered functionalitiesSource: The Standish Group Report, 2008

Rarely19%

Sometimes16%

Often13%

Always7%

Never45%

Usage ratio of delivered functionalitiesSource: The Standish Group Report, 2008

Rarely19%

Sometimes16%

Often13%

Always7%

Never45%

How to build

usable software?

you can try

Control

Lots of documentation, plans and charts

*picture from http://www.disambiguity.com/wheres-the-gantt-gone and http://www.information-management-architect.com/documentation-standards.html

But you have to freeze business!

*picture from http://www.airconinstallation.com/ratesandservices.htm

you can also try

Failure

Fail often, quickly and agressively

Until success… as expected

effective

Failure is very hard to

achieve

“Everything is running smoothly… release confirmed 7 months from

now.

“Don’t worry, we’re getting there… everything is already 90% complete”

“I know we are 7 weeks late, but we will make up for that in a month.”

commit to

Failure

Do you release each 3-week?Deliver to yourself at a daily basis

Contract professional“code breakers”

Use state-of-the-art technology for early warnings

Embrace failure in your organization

no Failure is the risky status

be BOLD

Define your Everest

0-defects 100%-usability

*picture from http://www.frontrange.ca/Magazine/Nepal/gokyo/gokyo.html

keep Improving

*picture from http://media.photobucket.com/image/everest+route/dm7799/EverestRoute.jpg

and

be GLOBAL

forget borders… embrace the Community

*picture from http://maps.google.com

Deliver Useful Software.

Every 3 weeks.

Always.