Ready: Why Software Projects Fail and How to Fix It
Ready shows not only why software projects fail, but how to ensure they succeed.
Software initiatives fail and disappoint far too often. Missed deadlines, rework, and unmet expectations are more common than success.
The biggest, most addressable cause is teams rushing to start implementation of work items before they’re set up for success. It’s not that people are doing something wrong or not doing their work well enough. It’s because every software development framework (Agile, Scrum, SAFe, to name a few) has a blind spot: nothing ensures a work item is truly ready before coding begins.
In Ready, Luniel de Beer and Max Guernsey, III draw on decades of experience leading engineering organizations to define the solution: Requirements Maturation Flow (RMF).
RMF is a lightweight but powerful workflow that can be installed into any SDLC. RMF fills the gap with three key additions:
- It guarantees that Agile engineering teams have the time and space necessary to clear all known blockers ahead of feature work
- It ensures requirements are clear, aligned, and truly understood prior to implementation
- It enforces gates that prevent work from starting too soon or being left open too long, reducing rework and delivery risk