Is there some magic in a version number that I don’t know about? There must be, since so many applications use version numbers. I was thinking about this as I was adding tickets to the project from which What’s up in Ruby sprang, and mindlessly creating versions and putting tickets under each.
What constitutes a version? Is it a certain number of bug fixes or features? Perhaps a combination of both?
It struck me that in the web development world we don’t put version numbers on our apps, at least not externally. Last week we offered this set of features, and this week we have these new features. Great! But mommy always said it is good to have goals, so what are we to do?
First, stop labeling anything “beta” or “alpha” or “version 1.” There’s either something out there, or there isn’t. It might be available to a select few, but it’s out there.
Second, implement scrum. Put all of your tickets into a backlog and prioritize them. Plan what you will do for a sprint (10 working business days for us), do it, and then deploy it. At the end of that sprint you should have potentially shippable product. If you need more time extend the sprint. Be flexible with what a sprint means to you, as long as it isn’t longer than a month.
Don’t make your users wait for new features. If they work, put them out there. Get feedback quickly and respond accordingly. Software is continuously evolving. Let that evolution happen incrementally rather that in giant leaps. Involve your users in the process and you will reap the reward: happy users.
Other posts you may enjoy
Share this post
No comments
Post a Comment
