Software | Booqs.com

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. The inverse proposition also appears to be true: A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be made to work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.

Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.

Douglas Hofstadter

Should software be built by teams that are disciplined and factory-like, or by teams that are flexible and highly self-motivated?

Douglas Crockford: Code reading requires a lot of trust on the part of the team members so there have to be clear rules as to what's in bounds and what's not. If you had a dysfunctional team, you don't want to be doing this, because they'll tear themselves apart.

The manager's function is not to make people work, but to make it possible for people to work.

The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned.

Frederick P. Brooks

Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.

Frederick P. Brooks

Testing by itself does not improve software quality. Test results are an indicator of quality, but in and of themselves, they don't improve it. Trying to improve software quality by increasing the amount of testing is like trying to lose weight by weighing yourself more often.

Steve McConnell