The default movement on a software project should be in the direction of taking elements of the software away to make it simpler rather than adding elements to make it more complex.

A brute force solution that works is better than an elegant solution that doesn't work.

Good code is its own best documentation.

It's better to wait for a productive programmer to become available than it is to wait for the first available programmer to become productive.

Good code is its own best documentation. As you're about to add a comment, ask yourself, "How can I improve the code so that this comment isn't needed?" Improve the code and then document it to make it even clearer.

Good visual layout shows the logical structure of a program.

Trying to apply formal methods to all software projects is just as bad as trying to apply code-and-fix development to all projects.