

Defining the Problem
You wouldn’t begin a vacation without a destination in mind. And you shouldn’t begin any project without a clear understanding of what you intend to accomplish. The key concept is “clear.” That means you want to a have a concise written problem statement. It won’t be that difficult. Something caused people to start thinking about this project. The problem might be customer-based: not enough clients are buying your products, or your help desk is flooded with calls. Or the prob


Software Projects and Family Vacations
What do software projects have in common with planning a family vacation? Well, quite a lot, actually. You begin with a destination in mind. You want to see the Grand Canyon. You want to visit the Louvre. You have a bucket list of places you want to go to, and experiences you want to have. Never been there or done that? Those are problems you want to solve, gaps you feel in your life. Like a vacation, a software project exists to solve some kind of problem; to fill some kind