Recap

I have taken a simple, universal modelthe S-curveand applied it to software project management. I used simple, classical physics to infer from the S-curve the velocity and acceleration, and hence the forces, at work on the project. I extended the model to multiphase iterative development and found results that are consistent with observation. I even attempted to separate learning from completion metrics and separately analyze those forces. Finally, I added the forces together and drew some conclusions about the total force as a function of time, and the impulse applied to the project during its various phases.

Much of this analysis is speculative, and I encourage you to ponder this and imagine alternate interpretations of the graphs I have drawn. I hope that many of you will find other nuggets in here that neither my reviewers nor I have found yet.

In the meantime, the conceptual model can make us ready to anticipate and deal with the various phases of the project as they play out. Knowing that there is some degree of "determinism" at work can sometimes be a comforting thought when a project hits its low point and you're concerned that the team may lose hope.

This chapter completes the third part of the book. I turn now to Part 4, in which I explore the human element of software development management.