This is a vague discussion that stays at a high level... I'm not sure how valuable this kind of generalization is. The "programmer" side of this discussion cer

This is a vague discussion that stays at a high level... I'm not sure how valuable this kind of generalization is. The "programmer" side of this discussion certainly does not always have a grasp of the needs of the business in mind, and it doesn't help that estimations of effort for new features (or refactoring efforts, even minor ones) are notoriously difficult. Some programmers are business-savvy, but most really aren't -- not necessarily due to ignorance or inexperience! It takes significant effort & time to keep a finger on the pulse of a business, to really know how much this contract matters in the grand scheme, what's really required to land it, and when. So it comes down to communication, and different people figuring out what actually needs to be communicated, but that's so relevant to everything it's almost useless to say. Case studies would be more interesting -- real ones, inasmuch as that's possible without making real people look bad. The author seems to consult on this sort of thing for a living, so that's probably possible.