Erich Gamma, one of the software luminaries behind the Design Patterns book and now part of the Eclipse Project, had the following things to say about software … that apply to a little more than just software:
Eclipse’s Culture of Shipping: “In software, having cool ideas is nice, but shipping them is what counts. For us it only counts if you have shipped the thing. That’s really the mindset we have. And given that you focus on shipping, we never want to be in a mode of always being two years away from shipping. You need to have a short-term deliverable. You also plan, decide and act with this mindset.”
You know, all artists should probably learn this lesson. It’s easy to plan the Great American Novel or the Next Great SF/Fantasy Trilogy, but in the meantime write some damn stories, paint some paintings, write a webcomic, and get your stuff out there.
-the Centaur
