The Nature of Software Development: Keep It Simple, Make It Valuable, Build It Piece by Piece

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You need to get value from your software project. You need it “free, now, and perfect.” We can’t get you there, but we can help you get to “cheaper, sooner, and better.” This book leads you from the desire for value down to the specific activities that help good Agile projects deliver better software sooner, and at a lower cost. Using simple sketches and a few words, the author invites you to follow his path of learning and understanding from a half century of software development and from his engagement with Agile methods from their very beginning.

The book describes software development, starting from our natural desire to get something of value. Each topic is described with a picture and a few paragraphs. You’re invited to think about each topic; to take it in. You’ll think about how each step into the process leads to the next. You’ll begin to see why Agile methods ask for what they do, and you’ll learn why a shallow implementation of Agile can lead to only limited improvement.

This is not a detailed map, nor a step-by-step set of instructions for building the perfect project. There is no map or instructions that will do that for you.

You need to build your own project, making it a bit more perfect every day. To do that effectively, you need to build up an understanding of the whole process.

This book points out the milestones on your journey of understanding the nature of software development done well. It takes you to a location, describes it briefly, and leaves you to explore and fill in your own understanding.

What You Need:

You’ll need your Standard Issue Brain, a bit of curiosity, and a desire to build your own understanding rather than have someone else’s detailed ideas poured into your head.

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The Pragmatic Programmers publishes hands-on, practical books on classic and cutting-edge software development and engineering management topics. We help professionals solve real-world problems, hone their skills, and advance their careers.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pragmatic Bookshelf
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2015
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 180 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941222374
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941222379
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.38 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #947,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #385 in Software Testing #988 in Microsoft Programming (Books) #1,258 in Software Development (Books)
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