Design work doesn't just satisfy requirements, it elicits them. Fred Brooks More Quotes by Fred Brooks More Quotes From Fred Brooks The boss must first distinguish between action information and status information. He must discipline himself not to act on problems his managers can solve, and never to act on problems when he is explicitly reviewing status. Fred Brooks boss information discipline The Waterfall Model is wrong and harmful; we must outgrow it. Fred Brooks waterfalls models But I will argue that knowing complete product requirements up front is a quite rare exception, not the norm. Fred Brooks requirements knowing arguing Scientists build to learn; Engineers learn to build. Fred Brooks programming scientist learning A computer program is a message from a man to a machine. The rigidly marshaled syntax and the scrupulous definitions all exist to make intention clear to the dumb engine. Fred Brooks syntax dumb men Even the best planning is not so omniscient as to get it right the first time. Fred Brooks programming planning firsts One can expect the human race to continue attempting systems just within or just beyond our reach; and software systems are perhaps the most intricate and complex of man's handiworks. The management of this complex craft will demand our best use of new languages and systems, our best adaptation of proven engineering management methods, liberal doses of common sense, and a God-given humility to recognize our fallibility and limitations. Fred Brooks humility race men A design style is defined by a set of microdecisions. A clear style reflects a consistent set. A clear style may not be a good style; a muddled one never is. Fred Brooks style design may A basic principle of data processing teaches the folly of trying to maintain independent files in synchonism. Fred Brooks data independent trying The management question, therefore, is not whether to build a pilot system and throw it away. You will do that. Hence plan to throw one away; you will, anyhow. Fred Brooks pilots plans management Consensus processes starve innovative design by eating the resource. Fred Brooks design eating process To only a fraction of the human race does God give the privilege of earning one's bread doing what one would have gladly pursued free, for passion. Fred Brooks passion race giving The programmer, like the poet, works only slightly removed from pure thought-stuff. He builds his castles in the air, from air, creating by exertion of the imagination. Few media of creation are so flexible, so easy to polish and rework, so readily capable of realizing grand conceptual structures. Fred Brooks creating media air The brain alone is intricate beyond mapping, powerful beyond imitation, rich in diversity, self-protecting, and self-renewing. The secret is that it is grown, not built. Fred Brooks diversity powerful self Plan to throw one (implementation) away; you will, anyhow. Fred Brooks programming software plans ...when fits of creativity run strong, more than one programmer or writer has been known to abandon the desktop for the more spacious floor. Fred Brooks creativity strong running When a task cannot be partitioned because of sequential constraints, the application of more effort has no effect on the schedule. The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned. Fred Brooks effort tasks children Study after study shows that the very best designers produce structures that are faster, smaller, simpler, clearer, and produced with less effort. The differences between the great and the average approach an order of magnitude. Fred Brooks differences average order Job Control Language is the worst programming language ever designed anywhere by anybody for any purpose. Fred Brooks language purpose jobs Product procedure...must securely protect the crown jewels, but, equally important, it must eschew building high fences around the garbage cans. Fred Brooks garbage-cans important jewels