3 ms·
In 1994 my boss asked me how long a set of changes would take in an existing billing application. I took a day to look at the code and I said 6-8 weeks. He sai
by ChicagoDave 2y ago
In 1994 my boss asked me how long a set of changes would take in an existing billing application. I took a day to look at the code and I said 6-8 weeks.
He said we (me with his guidance) could do it in a week, maybe two. I adamantly disagreed.
We proceeded to spend about 3 days writing a detailed document on the logic required. Once he was satisfied, he asked me to take a final look at the code and revise my estimate.
I was shocked and came back and said “a few days.”
It was all done and tested in less than two weeks.
That’s when I learned how to read code and how pseudo logic can speed up software development.
- chr15m 2y agoThis is a great story. Similarly I've learned that any amount of planning is better than no planning. Simply drawing a few mock-ups of what you're going to build will make things go a lot better. It's cheaper to fix mistakes at the design phase than the implementation or production phases.
- eru 2y agoInteresting! Though most of the time, the problem with estimating how long software takes to develop is that people tend to be hopelessly over-optimistic.