Management Quote by Frederick P. Brooks Jr
““The management question, therefore, is not whether to build a pilot system and throw it away. You will do that. The only question is whether to plan in advance to build a throwaway, or to promise to deliver the throwaway to customers.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Mythical Man-Month, Frederick P. Brooks Jr., 1975
The core issue is deciding between deliberately creating a disposable prototype and promising customers a temporary solution.
In simple terms: Choose between a planned throwaway or delivering a temporary product.
Key Takeaway
Plan for disposability or avoid overpromising.
Themes
software development
project management
risk
prototype
Mood
cautious
pragmatic
Type
advisory
strategic
When to use this quote
- product design
- customer expectations
- budget constraints
- timeline planning
Key Concepts
agile
lean
technical debt
Questions to Reflect On
- Should you build a throwaway to test ideas?
- How to set realistic expectations with customers?
A Different Perspective
A throwaway may waste resources if not managed properly.
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