The Mythical Man Month“Plan to throw one away”

“Pilot Plant”

Have you ever tried to cook for a lot of people?

Right Proportion?

Measure twice, cut once

• In most projects, the first system is barely usable.

• Should you built a throw a way system?

Management question

Plan for a throw away system?

Deliver first system to your customer?

Building a throw away system

• The new version will include lessons learned.

• Produce a better product

• Better chance of success

Not building a throw away system

▪ Able to meet time deadlines

▪ Agony for the user

▪ Bad reputation

First built

This is a picture of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. At the time, the third longest suspension bridge in the world.

General ConsensusSystems need more

management control.

Changes are inevitable.

• J. Cosgrove author of the article

“Needed: a new planning framework”

Treat all plans, milestones and schedules as tentative, so as to facilitate changes.

Changes continue

• Level of expertise

• Capitalize on capabilities

• Fixing problems create more problems

Highlights

• Planning

• Rebuild

• Changes

• Changes creates more problems