“Release early, release often.” How often is enough and does it count if you just commit?

I’ve always been interested in development processes and how they impact the software being created. I have worked in shops with a range of formal processes, and after some experimentation with different methodologies, I find myself most comfortable somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I like to have enough controls in place to understand how forward progress is made and prevent regressions, but also want a certain degree of flexibility to bend the rules when the situation calls for it. While no software is ever complete, I want the ability to put a stake in the ground and say “This version is done”, for some definition of “done”.

This article was originally published by Python Magazine in September of 2008 as part of a series of columns I wrote as Editor in Chief for Python Magazine under the title “Import This!”.

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