A 5-Step Guide to Ensure Software Failure
This is one of the best articles I've found in a long time. While it's talking about big-business software development, this really applies to all things technical-related. I draw huge parallels here to my experience as a Flash developer. “A huge number of technology projects go wrong. This is news to no one. Whether you run a software company with a number of ongoing development efforts or you have a nontech company that hires consultants here and there to provide systems integration, chances are you've bumped up against this problem. Delays, blown budgets, and outright failures are so common in the software world, in fact, that it's hardly newsworthy when a project is years late and millions over budget.” http://www.inc.com/magazine/20071101/how-hard-could-it-be-five-easy-ways-to-fail.html I think that one of his brigh-*test*-('") nuggets of insight is the analogy to growing a baby walrus. For anyone who has ever been under the thumb of project managers, you're all too familiar with the aghast expression on their faces when you give a time estimate that they deem too high. Their solution is to just tag a few hours pittance on to what they think it should take; and then they're surprised when it ends up taking as long as you predicted. Moral: we tech-mamas can't speed up the natural rate of walrus growth. Or something like that. Also, college students: the note in there on long hours is a gem. This applies now and when going out into the work force... Long hours do not speed up development. In my experience, pulling an all-nighter makes your head foggy around 2am, and then all the way through the next day. Calling it quits at a reasonable hour and starting fresh the next day will ultimately yield a better efficiency trend.