Things and Stuff

There is much to be said about these curves, but the crucial point is this: individual programmer excellence, whether 10x median or 2x, does not drive organizational software productivity. Any team, no matter how talented the individuals, whose costs follow the Boehm curve will, over time, lose to any team, no matter how mediocre the individuals, whose costs follow the Beck curve. It’s just a matter of where the cross-over occurs.