Python Rocks! and other rants 4.4.2004

Decide as late as possible

Chapter 4 of Lean Software Development is Decide as Late as Possible. This priciple is based on two simple ideas:

• Change is expensive
• The later you make a decision, the more information you have, and the more likely it is to be correct

So if you keep your options open as long as possible, you will make better decisions and you will be less likely to have to change your decision later.

The XP maxims You Aren't Going to Need It and Do The Simplest Thing that could Possibly Work can both be seen as techniques for delaying decisions. If you wait until you know you need something, you have waited until the last possible moment to make a decision. Similarly if you leave something out you have avoided making decisions about the right way to do it.