The time / scope / quality tradeoff

The tradeoff inherent between time, scope and quality is fundamental in Software Development. Pushing a team to “crunch” has diminishing returns, and whilst it can be justified occasionally, resentment will build up if it’s used as a crutch for bad planning / unrealistic expectations.

Set pragmatic quality gates for different release types and stick to them. Involve engineers in the planning process to set realistic expectations for release dates, but accept that the more novel something is, the less certain the timeline will be. 

If a release date is set in stone, accept that scope may need to be reduced to make the date, and make the call on what to cut early.

Respect the time / scope / quality tradeoff.

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