Description
Any software project that is worth starting will likely be susceptible to risk. Since greater risks bring greater rewards, a company that runs away from risk will soon find itself lagging at the back of its more adventurous competition.
By ignoring the specter of negative outcomes—in the name of positive thinking or a Can-Do attitude—software managers drive their organizations into the ground.
In Waltzing with Bears, Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister—the most productive-selling authors of Peopleware—show readers easy methods to identify and embrace worthwhile risks. Developers are then set free to push the limits.
You’ll find that risk management
* makes aggressive risk-taking imaginable
* protects management from getting blindsided
* provides minimum-cost downside protection
* reveals invisible transfers of responsibility
* isolates the failure of a subproject.
Readers are taught to identify the commonest risks faced by software projects:
* schedule flaws
* requirements inflation
* turnover
* specification breakdown
* and under-performance.
Packed with provocative insights, real-world examples, and project-saving tips, Waltzing with Bears is your guide to mitigating the risks—before they develop into problems.