Pitfalls of Modern Software Engineering

Another good list from a forthcoming book.

Managerial pitfalls

• Using the wrong developers
• Using the wrong metrics (or none at all)
• Lying to yourself and others
• Not identifying and managing risks
• Adopting a technology or methodology without well-defined objectives
• Misjudging relatives costs
• Allowing new features to creep (or pour) in
• Allowing the specification to drift or change without agreement
• Attempting too much, too fast, too soon
• Abandoning good software engineering practices

Political pitfalls

• Not educating and enlisting management before the fact
• Underestimating the resistance
• Overselling the technology or methodology
• Not recognizing the politics of architecture
• Getting religious about the technology or methodology
• Getting on the feature release treadmill
• Betting the company on a given technology or methodology
• Picking the wrong horse

Conceptual pitfalls

• Adopting a new technology or methodology for the wrong reason
• Thinking a new technology or methodology comes for free
• Thinking a new technology or methodology will solve all your problems
• Confusing buzzwords with concepts
• Confusing tools with principles
• Confusing training with skill
• Confusing prototypes with finished products
• Confusing approach with results
• Asking the wrong questions