What Are You Building Every Day?

Let's end this chapter with some questions you should ask yourself. Are you cranking out a daily build because you were told somewhere that you were supposed to? Is the build useful, or do you end up fixing and patching the build to get it released? Do you know what code additions/fixes are being built? Is there real value in the released daily build that moves the product forward?

If you are able to take an objective look at these questions and answer them as honestly as possible, you will be on your way to greater success with your product. If you think you would get a colored or tainted view of the answers to these questions, you should hire a consulting firm to come in and perform an architect review of your build process. Don't feel bad about doing this because even Microsoft does this periodically yes, even in the Windows team. Consultants are great because they are not involved politically with the company and will give an objective view that is not possible with employees.