WATCH · Software Delivery_
‘Almost Done’ — The Most Expensive Phrase in Software Development
Saleem Beg · Founder, Teque
● 1:45 · Posted 4 months ago
KEY TAKEAWAYS_
- Redefine "done" — it's not when coding finishes, it's when users can use it
- Demand demos, not status updates — "80% complete" means nothing
- Budget for the last 20% to take as long as the first 80%
TRANSCRIPT_
We are almost done might be the most expensive phrase in software development because almost done in software doesn't mean what it means everywhere else. When a builder says almost done, you can walk through the house and see what's left.
When a software team says almost done, you're trusting their estimate of invisible progress on invisible work. And here is the pattern I've seen destroy budgets. The first 80% of a project takes 80% of the time. The last 20% also takes 80% of the time. This isn't laziness or deception. It's the nature of software. The final stretch is where you discover edge cases nobody
thought about, the integrations that don't quite work, the performance issues that only appear with real data, the security vulnerabilities that only show up under testing. So what can you do about this? Well, first redefine done.
Done isn't when coding finishes. Done is when it's tested, deployed, documented, and users can actually use it. Second, demand demos, not status updates. 80% complete means nothing. Here is what works today means everything. Third, budget for the last 20% to take as long as the first 80. If you don't, you will either cut corners or blow your timeline. So, when someone says, "Almost
done," your next question should be, "Show me.
“The first 80% of a project takes 80% of the time. The last 20% also takes 80% of the time.”
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