JoelOnSoftware >> Software developers don’t really like to make schedules. Usually, they try to get away without one. “It’ll be done when it’s done!” they say, expecting that such a brave, funny zinger will reduce their boss to a fit of giggles, and in the ensuing joviality, the schedule will be forgotten.Most of the schedules you do see are halfhearted attempts. They’re stored on a file share somewhere and completely forgotten. When these teams ship, two years late, that weird guy with the file cabinet in his office brings the old printout to the post mortem, and everyone has a good laugh. “Hey look! We allowed two weeks for rewriting from scratch in Ruby!”
Hilarious! If you’re still in business.
You want to be spending your time on things that get the most bang for the buck. And you can’t figure out how much buck your bang is going to cost without knowing how long it’s going to take. When you have to decide between the “animated paperclip” feature and the “more financial functions” feature, you really need to know how much time each will take.
Why won’t developers make schedules? Two reasons. One: it’s a pain in the butt. Two: nobody believes the schedule is realistic. Why go to all the trouble of working on a schedule if it’s not going to be right?…
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