Zen and the Art of Merging Code
The product owner asked, “How long will this take?” The developer answered, “Three days.” It took three weeks. The senior developer asked, “Was your estimate wrong?” “Yes.” “Was the work wrong?” “No.” “Then what was being measured?” Sitting with the Koan Every developer has lived this koan. The estimate was wrong. The work was not. […]
The team estimated story points and committed to a sprint goal. They planned every hour of the coming weeks. The senior developer asked, “What happens to the time you didn’t plan?” And, “When you commit to the future, what do you assume about the present?” What This Means for Your Practice Sprint planning represents one […]
“We must pay down this debt!” declared the team lead. The senior developer asked, “If you pay it all, what will you owe then?” And, “Who is the creditor of technical debt?” Reflections We speak of technical debt as if it were a financial obligation, complete with interest rates and creditors waiting impatiently for payment. […]
