Skip to content

Plan to throw one (implementation) away; you will, anyhow.

“Plan to throw one (implementation) away; you will, anyhow.” quote by Fred Brooks
Download Open image
“Plan to throw one (implementation) away; you will, anyhow.”

Fred Brooks

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Software design should anticipate that early implementations will be discarded in favor of better solutions.

In simple terms: Expect early code to be replaced.

Key Takeaway

Plan for iteration and discard.

Themes

software engineering iteration design risk management

Mood

pragmatic realistic

Type

advice technical

When to use this quote

  • project planning
  • code reviews
  • prototype development

Key Concepts

agile refactoring technical debt

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you design for easy replacement?
  • What criteria decide when to discard?
A Different Perspective

Discarding early work can waste resources if not managed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Fred Brooks

Explore all 60 Fred Brooks quotes

More Implementation quotes

Browse all 171 Implementation quotes