Managing Your Analysis Debt
Ward Cunningham coined the metaphor of technical debt in 1992. “Shipping first-time code is like going into debt,” he said. “A little debt speeds development so long as it is paid back promptly with a rewrite. The danger occurs when the debt is not repaid.”
For large software projects, using debt is often a wise financial strategy. But incurring debt is always a risk, especially if it is high-interest debt and you’re not paying close attention to the cost. The same is true of technical debt, and it applies not only to code but also to architectural design and even to requirements analysis.
What is your project’s analysis debt load? What’s the difference between good and bad analysis debt? What are causes and remedies for such debt? Mary Gorman and Ellen Gottesdiener explore the concept of analysis debt and consider strategies for prudent investing.
Mary Gorman/Ellen Gottesdiener
http://www.stickyminds.com/s.asp?F=S15549_ART_2
200912 architecture software economics