One of the key objectives of a project inception is to collect requirements collaboratively. But, many times, it is difficult to decide where to start and what to focus on. Story mapping is an engaging activity where all participants are involved in the process of building the product backlog on a wall, versus writing a dull 100-page requirement document.
Ten years ago Extreme Programming, Agile Development, and Scrum shook the foundations of our industry. Our cherished beliefs were brought into question and turned inside out. The echoes of that revolution continue to resound. But now an even bigger tide has begun to turn. The Agile movement has helped software developers, testers, and business analysts to define their profession with unprecedented clarity. "Craftsmanship" is the watchword of the day. There is a ground swell of individual contributors who have decided that they want to be true professionals instead of technical laborers. They want authority over their workmanship, their disciplines, and their practices, and they are willing to take the corresponding responsibility. But is management ready for the tsunami of professionalism that's on the horizon?
I believe that worse-is-better, even in its strawman form, has better survival characteristics than the-right-thing, and that the New Jersey approach when used for software is a better approach than the MIT approach.
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