Herding Cats

The Misunderstanding of Chaos - Again

There is another round of discussion of the Chaos aspects of software development projects and the models of this chaos. The chaotic ones that are totally unpredictable like a double pendulum A double pendulum (two pendulums attached to each other)... Read more →

Seven Principles of Project Success

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

"Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job." James Lovell - Apollo13 Read more →

Five Core Processes of Project Success

There are five core processes for project success. Each must be in place. Each must be applied. The outcomes of each must be produced for the success of the project. Identify Needed Capabailities - Define the set of capabilities needed... Read more →

Quote of the Day

Nothing makes a smart man stupid like the quest for revenge - Sherlock Holmes Read more →

Quote of the Day

Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell," avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history" — what are the... Read more →

Low Probability - High Impact Events

The notion of a low probability (extreme in this case) but high imact event hs always been a hot topic. The 787 battery fires bring this to the front again. Read more →

Quote of the Day

The “Master Mind” may be defined as: “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose. No individual may have great power without availing himself of the... Read more →

Intelligence (or lack thereof) Gets In the Way of Conversation

One down side of high intelligence and low intelligence is to use this intelligence (or lack there of) to spin ever more ways of deceiving yourself. - Ray Pierrehumbert's Tyndall's lecture at the 2012 AGU Conference. Read more →

Quote of the Day

Architecture is the set of decisions about any system that keeps its implementers and maintainers from exercising needless creativity. - Objects, Components, and Frameworks with UML: The Catalysis Approach, D. F. D’Souza and AS. C. Wills, Addison Wesley, 1999. Read more →

Complex Problems Require Better Solutions

There is a class of responders on the forums that continue to seek simple and simple minded solutions to complex problems. Claiming the problems can be solved with simple solutions. Of course those solutions cannot be demonstrated with any credibility... Read more →

What Does "Done" Look Like?

There is a conversation on LinkedIn around the structure of the WBS. Neil Albert, of MIL-STD-881-C, provided ini nice answer to the question about the product or functional structure of the WBS. In the business of building things that swim,... Read more →

A Point Measures Need A Variance

All frequent flyers know the drill if you're like me and have a reserved seat in the exit row. The flight attendent gives the personal talk about our willingness to be in the exit row, how to open the door,... Read more →