Why Corporate Software Developments Fail

The Graveyard of Good Intentions

I’ve seen wayyy more than my fair share of corporate software development efforts, up close and personal, over the years. From bright-eyed startups to lumbering enterprise behemoths, they all had one thing in common – they failed. And shockingly, they all failed for essentially the same reason – the collective assumptions and beliefs held by the management in charge of the efforts.

An Epidemic of Misguided Thinking

Time and again, I’ve witnessed management fall victim to a set of deeply flawed assumptions and beliefs that doom their initiatives from the start. These misguided beliefs act like a virus, infecting decision-making at every level and leading teams inexorably down the road to ruin.

Some of the most pernicious offenders:

• The assumption that more money and resources will accelerate progress linearly
• The belief that their bespoke requirements are genuinely unique
• Insisting that their internal talent is superior to readily available outside expertise
• Naively trusting that adopted methodologies like Agile or Lean will be a panacea

(You can find a full collection of some 70+ of these collective assumptions and beliefs set out in my books Memeology and Quintessence.)

Cycles of Failure and Denial

The saddest part is watching this cycle of failure and denial play out over and over. At first, there is optimism and confidence that this time will be different. Budgets are generously allocated, grand plans are hatched. But as delays mount and budgets are inevitably exceeded, the blame game kicks into high gear.

It starts with shooting the messenger – dismissing or discrediting any Cassandras who warn of impending disaster. When that doesn’t stem the bleeding, people turn on each other – management backstabbing, scapegoating external suppliers, and eternal damnation for any entreprenurial independent software vendor (ISV) unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire.

An Ounce of Prevention

If I’ve learned anything from these myriad spectacles of self-immolation, it’s that taking proactive preventative measures is far more valuable than trying to fight an uphill battle after problems have already arisen. Before embarking on an ambitious development programme, management might choose to first confront their own biases and assumptions head-on:

• Accept that their requirements are not special; proven off-the-shelf solutions likely exist
• Look for and bring in highly skilled outside workers (and listen to them!) rather than sticking only to hiring people you already know.
• Adopt a mindset of humility, transparency and accountability from the top down

The path to success begins with honestly assessing one’s own limitations and tendencies for self-delusion. Those unwilling to engage in such introspection are doomed to keep repeated the same ruinous mistakes again and again.Mistakes for which we all pay.