Title: Software is sometimes done
Context: Finishing software used to happen all the time. Now it doesn’t. Software has become a process, not an object.
Synopsis: Software gets “done” in much the same way a birthday cake doesn’t. The proverbial fork that one might consider sticking into your product always comes out covered in the uncooked goo at the center. Requirements are not static. Supporting platforms are in constant flux. And users? Well, users remain satisfied for ever decreasing blocks of time before they become terminally bored with your ancient and outdated software—I mean it’s been almost a whole week since the last update and 5 competitors have released new products since then! The speed of change in technology affords neither complacency, nor completeness. But how nice it must be to make something that is at some point “finished”. If you are looking for done, bake a cake instead.
Best Bit: “But I also wonder if our obsession with the never-doneness of software — the inherent throw-awayness of our MVP and test-and-learn culture — is having a negative effect on the quality and lasting meaning of the software we make.”
via elezea.com
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