But I will argue that knowing complete product requirements up front is a quite rare exception, not the norm.

A computer program is a message from a man to a machine. The rigidly marshaled syntax and the scrupulous definitions all exist to make intention clear to the dumb engine.

Improving your process won't move you from good to great design. It'll move you from bad to average.

The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned.

Mediocre design provably wastes the world's resources, corrupts the environment, affects international competitiveness. Design is important.

There is no single development, in either technology or management technique, which by itself promises even one order-of-magnitude improvement within a decade in productivity, in reliability, in simplicity.

Observe that for the programmer, as for the chef, the urgency of the patron may govern the scheduled completion of the task, but it cannot govern the actual completion. An omelette, promised in two minutes, may appear to be progressing nicely. But when it has not set in two minutes, the customer has two choices - wait or eat it raw. Software customers have had the same choices.