> I think for us the biggest thing is that often we don't know what approach will work best until we try Absolutely--and I think pretty much all software is li

> I think for us the biggest thing is that often we don't know what approach will work best until we try Absolutely--and I think pretty much all software is like this. Engineering/optimization is, in a vague sense, all about how much shit you can throw at a wall and how well you can tell what sticks. The faster/easier/more accurately you can do this, the better. If you're going to be bound to the first pile of shit you throw due to business constraints or whatever, you're not likely to end up with something very nice.