Why cars have brakes?

12/15/2016

2 Comments

This is an Agile question. Why cars have brakes?

The purpose of a car is to move people and things from one place to another. And the performance of a car is generally measured by parameters like how fast it can go and how quickly it can pick up speed.

But, if that is only the case then why just having a gas pedal is not enough? Brakes waste both time and gas anyway! Why cars have brakes then?

I think we all know the answer. It's for safety.

And I am actually talking about documentation in Agile.

Document is a waste unless it is necessary for safety.

But when documentation becomes necessary for safety?

Well, I have seen situations where everyone perceived a user story (and its acceptance criteria) completely differently. It ended up in a car accident because it didn't have a brake!

May be this is one of the reasons why most scrum teams are very stressed in today's world.

Agile Manifesto says "Working software over comprehensive documentation". And most of us tend to ignore the word comprehensive, consciously or unconsciously.

What would make this easier for everyone is, if we had a process to create enough documentation (just to bring everyone on the same page) that doesn't waste any time and effort.

For example, if we had a process where, on clicking a button, optimum set of test cases in the organization-specific format, requirement traceability matrix and standardized use cases and process models are instantly (i.e., automatically) created from the user stories (written in a specific way), it would have made things much easier.

And this is exactly what we, at Testing Algorithms, are trying to accomplish based on our years of research. Please note, our purpose is to help the software development community and our solution is a gift to all. However, you can choose any amount (including zero) for giving us return gift, if our solution helps your organization.

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2 Comments

Chandra H

12/30/2016 12:52:18 am

Nice Analogy. So true that we all come from different background and have different approach to the same problem.

Axel Vanhooren

8/17/2017 03:36:23 pm

True. But we tend to write documentation just "because we have to". We do it without real purpose. This is wrong. We have to learn to write to put valuable information into the documentation and to wrote FOR readers, in a meaning full way. If we don't, of course nobody will read it.
The act of writing is, just like planning, also an exercise in thinking. It helps thinking. This shouldn't be underestimated. Furthermore, our memory is volatile en we tend to be selective in remembering only what we want. Writing leave an indelible trace which can be useful in later discussions or when people left. Documents are also a mean of communication.
And yes people don't like to write or to read. But sometimes we have to go beyond what we like or dislike and learn to do what we have to, what is necessary. What I mean is that we need to consider the whole package of purposes and advantages of documentation Working code is meant tot produces value for the organisation.. but without documentation we may loose knowledge and thus lose control, or changes may become way more expensive and risky. The question is not one over the other, but doing both rightly. Ho, btw, (slightly off topic) Agilists often think waterfall methodologies impose project teams to write a lot of documents or documentation (to do a lot of administration). No methodology imposes someone to write unnecessary documentation (or to do any other unnecessary work). Methodologies are, by nature, not prescriptive. They suggests and impose nothing. People impose it to themselves or to others. Best regards.

Why cars have brakes?

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