Seems smart but this > But few programmers write even a rough sketch of what their programs will do before they start coding. deserves a reference to a study.

Seems smart but this > But few programmers write even a rough sketch of what their programs will do before they start coding. deserves a reference to a study. (or, and this is the first time I use this word: a #strawman flag.) - or am I the only one who sketches up data models and data flows before going to work? Also: Prototyping comes early in many other designs as well, often way before detailed blueprints are signed off I think (not a mechanical engineer, just outside observations). In software it just so happens that prototypes are often made by the same people and from the same material as the final product, only reinforced to withstand production load and abuse.