> I seldom write down a detailed project plan (I write about that here[1]. Feel free to not read it, as well). Instead, my projects start with what I call a "napkin sketch," and evolve, as they progress. The results can be amazing, but I also end up backtracking a lot, and tossing out a lot of code.
This is fine for a sketch, a prototype, or an exploration. If you do this to produce production, critical path code, on a professional team with others you're selfish:
- The team, not only you, maintains this work that they have no agency over.
- You skipped feedback loops, and ignored the expertise of others.
- You've removed information sharing and visibility as you go into your cave and come back out with a solution.
> I feel that you can't work the way I work, unless you are highly experienced (I've been at it over 30 years). I make big decisions, on the fly, and I need to have a really clear idea of the ramifications of these decisions. Often, the devil is in the details.
Yes, the devil is in the details. Get some feedback from other people and stop designing by mistakes I happened to notice and catch. The ones you didn't notice? They're bugs your teammates fix.
This is fine for a sketch, a prototype, or an exploration. If you do this to produce production, critical path code, on a professional team with others you're selfish:
- The team, not only you, maintains this work that they have no agency over.
- You skipped feedback loops, and ignored the expertise of others.
- You've removed information sharing and visibility as you go into your cave and come back out with a solution.
> I feel that you can't work the way I work, unless you are highly experienced (I've been at it over 30 years). I make big decisions, on the fly, and I need to have a really clear idea of the ramifications of these decisions. Often, the devil is in the details.
Yes, the devil is in the details. Get some feedback from other people and stop designing by mistakes I happened to notice and catch. The ones you didn't notice? They're bugs your teammates fix.