Rules of the Garage … revisited

It’s been a few years, but hear-up! All that stuff about not locking up the tools (q.v. Fiorina, Carly c. 1999 Rules of the Garage) is real nice, I like it. Here are a few more:

EVERYONE’s system is somebody else’s SubSystem.
EVERYONE’s system is somebody else’s Component.

EVERYONE’s output is somebody else’s input. (like … think requirement, specification, source, intermediate, binary …)
EVERYONE’s input is somebody else’s output.

THERE IS NO WIP, there is only deliverables.

There is only working status and issued status. (NEVER re-open something that you published and call it the same rev)

There is no major or minor change. If the change doesn’t affect anything then don’t make the change. If it affects something, then it isn’t minor. (I know, I know, this one needs tempering with the practical reality of expectation. People love to dismiss change, they hate change, so go ahead and call it minor.)

Don’t mistake revision advancement with maturity. Maturity can go backwards and forward. Revision can only advance. So only make one revision mark. Numeric, Alpha. DON’T use character set to differentiate maturity level.

That’s all I have to say for now.