The current mantra for software development hinges around “better, faster, cheaper.” To support these efforts, companies attempt to improve their development process. While helpful, improving the current process has two negative side effects: diminishing returns. The more improved a process becomes the less room for improvement exists. Eventually the process will be as good as possible. over adaptation. The development process becomes highly adapted to the existing system leading to problems when the environment shifts. I say if you want to improve your process, improve

Do you know about smokejumpers? They’re brave, self-sufficient firefighters who parachute into remote areas wearing eighty pounds of gear and ready to fight a forest fire. If the jump goes well, they land safely. After extinguishing the fire, they may have a ten-mile hike out. It’s not a job for the faint of heart, slow of mind, or weak of back.

Have you considered that you may be a smokejumper?

Johanna recently blogged about Making Milestones Visible. Jerry added that milestones not only need to be visible, they have to be actionable. The example they used was having a vehicle go 100,000 miles. Data To Johanna it was a milestone she missed because her odometer lacked the resolution to let her know she was getting close. The entire last mile looked like 99999. It’s really difficult to pay attention looking for the next increment AND drive safely at the same time. If the odometer displayed