(2009-08-13) Beck Startup Phases And Xp Adjustments

Kent Beck defines the early Life Cycle of a Start Up, and applies Lean Startup principles to the earlier phases in Unit Test work, the tracking and fixing of bugs (Issue Tracker, Zero Defect) and design. Only some testing and defect fixing serve to reduce latency and increase the frequency and value of experimentation over the short term. Design belongs on the list of activities that need to be responsibly performed in moderation during the takeoff phase. If it's Thursday and you only have enough money to last until Friday at 5, the responsible thing to do is perform another market experiment, not automate a difficult test, fix a random defect, or refactor away duplication... Every startup feels overwhelming from the inside, but every dawn brings exactly one day in which to work. The cellist Pablo Casals was once asked how he had the stamina to play a long passage of blisteringly fast sixteenth notes. "I rest between the notes," was his reply. In a startup you can "rest" between experiments. If an A-B Test takes a day to gather significant results, that's a day you can spend investing in the future without jeopardizing the present. Spend time between crises wisely and you'll have both a system and a business you can be proud of.