Chapter 3. Effective Planning and Requirements

Planning and requirements are difficult subjects in the world of software development, and are often points of bitter contention between managers and project teams. It seems to be universally recognized that the typical approach to managing software projects hasn't been working particularly well, and projects are perpetually behind schedule and over budget. The development of software—especially innovative, well-designed, user-centered products—simply can't be planned and managed in traditional ways, and failure to recognize this and adapt properly can lead to grinding failures, misconstrued goals, and half-baked products.