http://ayende.comAyende @ RahienCopyright (C) Ayende Rahien 2004 - 2021 (c) 202660I'd just like to throw out a few quotes, courtesy of Wikipedia under "Plan": Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential – Winston Churchill Plans are nothing; planning is everything. – Dwight D. Eisenhower No battle plan survives contact with the enemy (client). – Helmuth von Moltke the Elder A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week. – George S. Patton http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment9http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment9Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:56:46 GMT@configurator, I'm not sure if you're familiar with the saying "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission", which in this context basically means it's better for the team to try what they think is right than to attempt a Big Design Up-front. http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment8http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment8Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:59:14 GMTAyende, with developer/designer background and the fact that it is you who pay, you should be able to get what you want. If you want the shorter cycle you can simply request it, don't you? My last _very_ first sketch, from zero to hero, took only 2 hours :D http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment7http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment7Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:14:54 GMTThe approach to use can largely be influenced by you, so why not push for your preference? Even if the team "goes away" are they not open to participating in the feedback you're seeking? http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment6http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment6Sun, 21 Nov 2010 14:48:56 GMTEti, I am talking about me here, quite explicitly. http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment5http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment5Sun, 21 Nov 2010 14:27:41 GMTI don't see what asking forgiveness has to do with it though. Also, agile isn't always best. A certain client of mine single-handedly destroyed a project because he had too much say into what we were doing. Granted, he was the client, but we apparently know how to develop software a bit better than him... http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment4http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment4Sun, 21 Nov 2010 14:18:43 GMTIt's better when there's an obvious and communicative decision maker. But when there's no clear responsibility it's better to agree on everything and write it down before starting any work. http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment3http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment3Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:09:21 GMTHi, Good way of putting it, but... i guess the "Silver Bullet" pattern applies to this also. For some projects and some clients and with certain developers the "Bold Exploration" will be a total failure and the "Detail Survey" might just work and vice versa. Also i think that combining the approaches and taking the best from each, as in planing in detail at the beginning but as you go along rushing the cycles and pushing features out might give you more flexibility since you can always "switch" to the most appropriate development style. Anyway i hope that people reading your post wont just start writing code without any planing, just because Ayende said it's ok :) http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment2http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment2Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:01:36 GMTIsn't that what scrum is all about: Short (feedback) cycles http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment1http://ayende.com/4697/better-to-ask-forgiveness#comment1Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:47:39 GMT