How waterfall is wrong for software
We've known for decades waterfall and software don't mix; why do we keep doing it?
You’re working on an automotive assembly line. Your job is to install the steering column assembly and steering wheel. The next car rolls down the line. You grab the parts and lean in, tools in hand and try to fit the column. It won’t fit. Something’s off.
You look closely and realize the mounting point isn’t where it should be — it’s offset by a few inches. You figure, you’ll try anyway. No good. Worse, the chassis is aluminum and your steel column will cause galvanic corrosion on contact. You think to yourself — maybe this car is supposed to have something else entirely — a joystick, perhaps? You’re going to need time to research the platform and figure out what belongs here. But you’re out of time. The line grinds to a halt. Delivery stops. Something unforeseen has surfaced, and you need time to research the right solution.
That’s not how automotive assembly lines work. But it is how software works. Building software is about research, discovery and development.
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