Shipping doesn't always need to mean shipping to the public. I write complex software too but I "ship" to myself early and often. I start by trying to solve a

Shipping doesn't always need to mean shipping to the public. I write complex software too but I "ship" to myself early and often. I start by trying to solve a hard problem as fast and as quickly as possible in a naive way so that I can experiment more freely. This gives me more insight into the problem itself and into the solution space. The solution often changes -- sometimes it's the problem that changes. If I were working with a customer or a startup I would definitely "ship" early and often, too, but I wouldn't give much weight to these "releases". They're just something to play with and to cut the shape for the problem.