3 ms·
The house painting analogy fails because in software development, you only have a vague idea of how big the "house" is. No painter would give an estimate for p
by subwindow 18y ago
The house painting analogy fails because in software development, you only have a vague idea of how big the "house" is.
No painter would give an estimate for painting a house, sight unseen, with only vague descriptors. But yet that's exactly what fixed-bid contracting is for software development.
- JoelSutherland 18y agoClearly the house painting analogy fails. All analogies do. My point was that the two extremes are fixed-bid and hourly. For the sake of a client, a programmer with some expertise should be able to give a reasonable estimate based on a set of requirements. I would say your house painter analogy fails as well. Fixed-bid contracting for software development is nothing like painting a house sight unseen, with only vague descriptors. Analogies aren't really the point though...