Monday, July 3, 2017

Software Engineering Maxim #5: There is an ideal rate of breakage: no more, no less

(This is one of a series of Software Engineering Maxims Which May or May Not Be True, developed over the last few years of working at Google. Your mileage may vary. Use only as directed. Past performance is not a predictor of future results. Etc.)

Breaking things too often is a sign of trying to do too much too quickly, and either excessively dividing attention or not allowing time for proper care to be taken.

Not breaking things often enough is a sign of the opposite problem: not pushing hard enough.

I’m sure it is theoretically possible for a team to move at an absolutely optimal speed such that they maximize their results without ever breaking anything, but I’ve no idea how to achieve it. The next best thing is to strive for just the right amount of breakage: not too much, not too little.