Applies only to software programming?
Maybe its the same for any life task?
Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
41–50 of 55 posts
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#42This kind of fractal complexity is true per batch. The problem being described here is quite simply large batch sizes, with many projects treated even as just a single batch. The smaller your batch size, the more constant your overall project velocity is. 80/20 is therefore a sign of a poorly managed project (since visibility of true velocity is hidden, planning is impossible at best or based on false data at worst,…
This is true, but not intuitive or readily explainable to "people" (usually senior management, hence the quotes :).
A great read on the subject of batch sizes and limiting WIP: http://www.amazon.com/The-Principles-Product-Development-Flo...
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#43I always thought it was because the last 20% is also 80% of the project because everyone underestimates the task by roughly 60%.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#44I think it is because people are terrible at considering hidden complexity and the odds of something unexpected happening.
My biz partner has a philosophy of "there is no such thing as a simple app." Hidden complexity is everywhere.
Consider user login. A form with username and password right?
Do you show the password as they type it or obfuscate it? What if the user forgets username or password? How do you handle password reset? Did you make sure you are sending over https? What about captcha? Do you use one at all? Do you have password strength requirements? How do you want to store the password data? What about security questions? What about error handling? Do you support oauth like facebook login? Will this work for login via api? How are you going to test login? Will you write feature specs, unit tests, etc?
Now, how often do people think through features in that kind of detail when estimating? Look at the above questions. All of a sudden the last 20% starts to look like 80%.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#45My Math teacher in College used to tell me it takes 5 times the effort to go from 70 to 100 marks, than it took to go from 0 to 70 marks. Finishing well is hard and often takes more than just raw application of hard work.
To get it really ~100% percent right, you need to not only work hard, or work more but you need to develop a strange obsession for quality. And that only comes from continual reading, and upgrading your skills. To constantly learn from experience and other people's wisdom and apply it to your daily craft.
Getting to the 80% done part, if you note you will be often working on stuff which is largely solved and rewritten many times. Things like working with DB or a file, or parsing an XML- Basically stuff like that is what constitutes first 80% of the project. The remaining 20% is what your actual project is, its functional requirements, its quality and other stuff like that.
This is not just with software, building a home is very similar. It takes very little time to build the frame structure(walls, foundation, roof etc)- A lot more time to actually finish the home which is livable.
For that you can only do it right if you go slow but steady.
Remember you either go far or fast, never both. You will have the stamina or strength to only do one of them.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#46In case the site isn't loading for you (wasn't for me): http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.mat...
Sorry about that. I don't get so much traffic usually.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#47That's the most annoying comma I've seen in a while. :) Great article though.
The author is probably not a native speaker of English. For example: Their name doesn't sound German, but that comma makes perfect sense when you translate the sentence to German. Whatever their native language may be, it might have similar rules of comma usage.
This is what happens if you think in one language and write in another. :) Yes, I am from a bit south of Germany, from Slovenia.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#48The analogy is nice, but I'd enhance it a little bit to emphasize the responsibility of, ahem, driver and make all of this more useful. Unless it isn't his first trip to the city, the driver needs to reduce his optimism about the arrival time. Especially at the beginning when he has a lot of time, he needs to avoid all those tempting things like: playing with his new GPS to design the best route; exploring the new an…
This a million times. To continue the analogy: Only with experience will the driver know approximately how long the drive should take. Read about the traffic all you want, but until you drive there multiple times, try not to give a set arrival time (or prepare to arrive late).
I would say the same. You need to be a local to know your way around. Until you become one, you are going to miscalculate your arrival time. This is why good developers are exponentially better than bad developers.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
This a million times. To continue the analogy: Only with experience will the driver know approximately how long the drive should take. Read about the traffic all you want, but until you drive there multiple times, try not to give a set arrival time (or prepare to arrive late).
I would say the same. You need to be a local to know your way around. Until you become one, you are going to miscalculate your arrival time. This is why good developers are exponentially better than bad developers.
your comments show the power&depth of this analogy. the challenge for an effective local driver is to avoid routine and remain cautious and flexible to react to the changes in his leaned-by-heart territory: new rules, roadsigns, changes in traffic organization, self-driving cars etc.
Re: Why the last 20% of work takes the same amount of time as the first 80%
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would say the same. You need to be a local to know your way around. Until you become one, you are going to miscalculate your arrival time. This is why good developers are exponentially better than bad developers.
your comments show the power&depth of this analogy. the challenge for an effective local driver is to avoid routine and remain cautious and flexible to react to the changes in his leaned-by-heart territory: new rules, roadsigns, changes in traffic organization, self-driving cars etc.
True. I may be the best driver in Slovenia, but when I want to drive to Manhattan, I will have a bad time (pun intended). I will learn to drive there faster than somebody who is also bad in Slovenia, but I will still need my time.