This is a pretty interesting process you have there. I usually use throw-away Prototypes/Spikes, when I do not know how to write my first test or I feel uncomfo

This is a pretty interesting process you have there. I usually use throw-away Prototypes/Spikes, when I do not know how to write my first test or I feel uncomfortable test-driving the problem. Once I reach enough confidence, I remove spike's code and start test-driving it. I let the design of the system emerge on its own, while I'm listening to how hard it is to write tests and steering the wheel using Red-Green-Refactor (2nd cycle of TDD) and while I'm following Specific/Generic rule (applying Triangulation together with Transformation Priority Premise) (this is the 3rd cycle of TDD). Red-Green-Refactor on its own indeed is very well known for leading quickly to the local maximum of the solution and its design. 3rd Cycle of TDD breaks out of the local maximum of the solution to the problem. 4th cycle of TDD breaks out of the design maximum (4th cycle of TDD - Hourly, we step back and look at the overall design and architecture of the system, taking a careful look at the architectural boundaries and seeing if we are about to cross any of them with our efforts, we proceed with informed decisions steering to the right design we want for the next hour). Here is the Robert C. Martin's blog post on the cycles of TDD: http://blog.cleancoder.com/uncle-bob/2014/12/17/TheCyclesOfTDD.html http://blog.cleancoder.com/uncle-bob/2014/12/17/TheCyclesOfT...