Extreme Programming (XP) might not be as "extreme" as its name suggests, but its influence on software development is undeniable. Kent Beck's visionary approach laid the foundation for many practices that are now industry standards. Understanding the 'why' behind these practices is crucial, as the values and principles Beck shared are arguably the most important aspects of XP. While we often focus on the practices, it’s the underlying values that truly drive successful software development. Here are 8 quotes from Beck that have impacted me.
It's not my job to "manage" someone else expectations. It's their job to manage their own expectations. It's my job to do my best and communicate clearly (p. 5)
Everything in software changes. The requirements change. The design changes. The business changes. The technology changes. The problem isn't change, because change is going to happen; the problem, rather, it's our inability to cope with change (p.11)
Direction set in advance of experience have an especially short half-life. Change is inevitable, but change create the need for feedback (p. 19)
In software development, "perfect" is a verb, not an adjective (p. 28)
If you have trouble succeeding, fail (p. 32)
Sacrificing quality is not effective as a means of control. Quality is not a control variable. Projects don't go faster by accepting lower quality. They don't go slower by demanding higher quality. Pushing quality higher often results in faster delivery; while lowering quality standards often results in later, less predictable delivery (p. 32)
If I don't have to compute the right answers, I can make a system go as fast as you want (p. 125)
Sharing power is pragmatic, not idealistic (p. 155)
And you ? Which one is your favorite ?
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