74 Quotes by Kent Beck

Of the four project development variables – scope, cost, time and quality – quality isn’t really a free variable. The only possible values are “excellent” and “insanely excellent”, depending on whether lives are at stake.

I’ve known people who have not mastered their tools who are good programmers, but not a tool master who remained a mediocre programmer.

Responsible Development is the style of development I aspire to now. It can be summarized by answering the question, How would I develop if it were my money? I’m amazed how many theoretical arguments evaporate when faced with this question.

I don’t like the feeling, but I’ve got to say that a little fear makes me a more focused, more responsible programmer.

How good the design is doesn’t matter near as much as whether the design is getting better or worse. If it is getting better, day by day, I can live with it forever. If it is getting worse, I will die.

Learning research tells us that the time lag from experiment to feedback is critical...

The system metaphor is a story that everyone – customers, programmers, and managers – can tell about how the system works.

I tell people to start implementing when they are pretty sure there aren’t more important stories out there. An iteration’s worth of data is worth months of speculation.

Responsibility cannot be assigned; it can only be accepted. If someone tries to give you responsibility, only you can decide if you are responsible or if you aren’t.