Ship It!: A Practical Guide to Successful Software Projects

We know what it's like. As developers, we're drowning in decisions. What methodology should we use? What tools? What practices work? These are all-important decisions: choose poorly, and our project--and our team--suffer.That's where Pragmatic Projects comes in. Authors Jared Richardson and Will Gwaltney have lived through it all, and have created a short, readable book summarizing what really works on a project. From underfunded startups to the largest privately held software company in the world, their tips and suggestions have been proven and refined. If you're frustrated with methodologies that are too extreme, too complicated, or just aren't feasible, then this book is for you. Pragmatic Projects avoids fashion trends and marketing hype. Instead, you'll find page after page of solid advice, all tried and tested in the real world. It is a collection of tips showing you what tools a successful team has to use, and how to use them well. You'll get quick, easy-to-follow advice on modern techniques and when they should be applied. Few of the ideas presented here are controversial or extreme" most experienced programmers will agree that this stuff works. Yet 50 to 70 percent of all project teams in the U.S. aren't able to use even these simple, well-accepted practices effectively. This book will help them get started.Pragmatic Projects begins with the common technical infrastructure that every project needs. You can choose from a variety of recommended technologies according to your skills and budget to get the job done. The next section outlines the necessary steps to get software out the door reliably, using well-accepted, easy-to-adopt, best-of-breed practices that really work. Finally, and most importantly, Pragmatic Projects presents common problems-and danger signs-that arise and offers real-world advice on how to solve them, in the widely-accepted form of a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

Ship It! is a collection of tips that show the tools and
techniques a successful project team has to use, and how to use them
well. You'll get quick, easy-to-follow advice on modern
practices: which to use, and when they should be applied. This book
avoids current fashion trends and marketing hype; instead, readers
find page after page of solid advice, all tried and tested in the
real world.

Aimed at beginning to intermediate programmers, Ship It! will show you:

Which tools help, and which don't
How to keep a project moving
Approaches to scheduling that work
How to build developers as well as product
What's normal on a project, and what's not
How to manage managers, end-users and sponsors
Danger signs and how to fix them

Few of the ideas presented here are controversial or extreme; most experienced
programmers will agree that this stuff works. Yet 50 to 70 percent of all
project teams in the U.S. aren't able to use even these simple, well-accepted
practices effectively. This book will help you get started.

Ship It! begins by introducing the common technical
infrastructure that every project needs to get the job done. Readers
can choose from a variety of recommended technologies according to
their skills and budgets. The next sections outline the necessary
steps to get software out the door reliably, using well-accepted,
easy-to-adopt, best-of-breed practices that really work.

Finally, and most importantly, Ship It! presents common
problems that teams face, then offers real-world advice on how to
solve them.