Comments on: Why Aircraft Carriers are not Agile

By: Giorgio Sironi

Giorgio Sironi — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:59:59 +0000

I like real world metaphors for software development. It can help a customer understand why doing something is not simple as he thinks.

By: Oleg

Oleg — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:29:04 +0000

I doubt that *designing* of aircraft carrier (that is “writing code”) is not done by using some agile techniqes. And customers do change requirements at this stage. And they do receive new price tag and change of deliverables with that.
That’s a stage we call “writing code” here.

I am sure that *building* of aircraft carrier is made by strict following to instructions/blueprints.
That’s a stge we call “compiling” here.

By: Jens Schauder

Jens Schauder — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:21:36 +0000

Hi Steve,
you are right about the blacksmiths they did make their own tools. But these tools are needed for getting the job done, not for automating it. The tools for automation, like steam driven hammers or modern automated systems for creating and processing steel are done by a completely different group.

The classification of software development as craftmanship might be a correct one, but I would see that as a result of the immaturity of our craft.

For me it becomes very obvious when one tries to estimate performance. This is next to impossible even for skilled persons even for rather simple systems. Just us for a long time it was impossible to calculate if a bridge or a damn will hold or not. So right now we do it like a craftman would do it. We look at our experience, try to take our gut feeling into account and hope it works. I strongly hope this will change some time, but I’d guess that will take quite some time.

By: Steve Mitcham

Steve Mitcham — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:17:06 +0000

Very interesting post; however, blacksmiths have been make their own specialty tools from simpler tools for thousands of years.

I think the key element that you’re discussing, and that others have mentioned before, is that software development more mirrors a craftmanship such as woodworking or cabinet making, than engineering efforts.