Shownotes Transcript
"Getting out of estimates and getting into appetites and budgets is the single most important thing that we have instituted," - David Heinemeier Hansson
Today, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founders of 37signals, discuss their chapter in Rework)* *on why estimating is not the road to completing projects and what has helped them get things done in their business for over twenty years.
**Show Notes: **
[00:42] - David shares why it's time to accept that we're awful at estimating.
[03:27] - Why estimating is 'an amazing example of the human optimism to overcome its own fundamental flaws in a way that's just wholesomely unrealistic.'
[04:48] - What 37signals does instead of estimating as relayed in Shape Up).
[05:49] - Jason asks how much you are willing to spend (or lose) in gambling (and software development projects).
[08:13] - The worst situation to be in for rational decision-making.
[09:00] - Why it's vital to stick to your limits.
[10:29] - "Getting out of estimates and getting into appetites and budgets is the single most important thing that we have instituted as a barrier for our software development process over all these years."
[12:47] - In software development, no one—from the owner of the company to the end user—gets everything they want; staying within your parameters is about trading concessions.
[14:15] - You need to keep the engine moving because software development is like baking bread on an industrial scale.
[16:19] - You produce what you practice.
[16:57] - You don't cut corners or quality, you cut scope, and if you can't, you scrap the project.
[18:15] - Losing the right things prevents you from missing out on other opportunities.
[19:48] - Forecasting the next ten years, six weeks at a time.
[20:33] - Shortening planning cycles improves your ability to determine your next steps with more accurate information.
[21:15] - 'We're making a ton of progress with a small team with a product that's been around for 18 years - so it works!'
[23:21] - Why keep doing things that don't work?
Links and Resources:
Rework)* *
Shape Up)Dev.37signals****)Sign Up for 30-day FREE trial at Basecamp.com)
37signals on YouTube****)The REWORK podcast)
The 37signals Dev Blog)
@reworkpodcast on Twitter)
@37signals on Twitter) ****