3 ms·
This is one of the best startup articles I have read in a while. Some real gems in there. The metaphor by Martin Fowler that the article mentions is particularl
by hanifvirani 16y ago
This is one of the best startup articles I have read in a while. Some real gems in there. The metaphor by Martin Fowler that the article mentions is particularly noteworthy.
Imagine you’re tasked with building a computer controlled gun that can accurately hit a target about 50 meters distant. That is the only requirement. One way to do this is to build a complex machine that measures every possible variable (wind, elevation, temperature, etc.) before the shot and then takes aim and shoots. Another approach is to build a simple machine that fires rapidly and can detect where each shot hits. It then uses this information to adjust the aim of the next shot, quickly homing in on the target a little at a time.
The difference between these two approaches is to realize that bullets are cheap. By the time the former group has perfected their wind detection instrument, you’ll have finished your simple weapon and already hit the target.
- funksta 16y agoSounds very similar to the section of The Pragmatic Programmer on "Tracer Bullets". There's an interview with the authors that has more discussion here -> http://www.artima.com/intv/tracer.html http://www.artima.com/intv/tracer.html