The document discusses 5 rules of software development that were made to be broken: 1. Do the simplest thing that could possibly work, but no simpler. 2. Design for reuse, but refactor for reuse. 3. Only hire the smartest engineers, but hire well-rounded teams. 4. Premature optimization is the root of all evil, but be mindful of performance. 5. The customer is always right, but delight customers with transparency and consistency. The overall message is to be wary of rules in software engineering.

1. Breaking Rules:
Five rules
of software development
that were made to be broken
Brendan Humphreys and Matt Quail, Atlassian

4. #1 DTSTTCPW

5. #1 DTSTTCPW
“Do the simplest thing that could possibly work”

6. #1 DTSTTCPW
“Do the simplest thing that could possibly work”
“Do the simplest thing that could possibly work” ✘

7. #1 DTSTTCPW
“Do the simplest thing that could possibly work”
“Do the simplest thing that could possibly work” ✘
DTSTTCPW. BUT NO SIMPLER ✔

8. #2 Design for reuse

9. #2 Design for reuse
Design for reuse ✘

10. #2 Design for reuse
Design for reuse ✘
Refactor for reuse ✔

11. #3 Only hire the smartest
engineers

12. #3 Only hire the smartest
engineers
Only hire the smartest engineers ✘

13. #3 Only hire the smartest
engineers
Only hire the smartest engineers ✘
Hire well rounded teams ✔

14. #4 Premature optimization
is the root of all evil

15. #4 Premature optimization
is the root of all evil
Premature optimization is the root of all evil ✘

16. #4 Premature optimization
is the root of all evil
Premature optimization is the root of all evil ✘
Be mindful of performance, donʼt leave it until too late ✔

17. #5 The customer is
always right

18. #5 The customer is
always right
The customer is always right ✘

19. #5 The customer is
always right
The customer is always right ✘

20. #5 The customer is
always right
The customer is always right ✘
Delight your customer with transparency and
consistency ✔

21. “Do the simplest thing that could possibly work” ✘
• DTSTTCPW. BUT NO SIMPLER ✔
Design for reuse ✘
• Refactor for reuse ✔
Only hire the smartest engineers ✘
• Hire well rounded teams ✔
Premature optimization is the root of all evil ✘
• Be mindful of performance, donʼt leave it until too late ✔
The customer is always right ✘
• Delight your customer with transparency and consistency ✔

22. “Be Wary Of Rules In Software Engineering”
- Brendan & Matt, 2009