https://markstaples.com/2009/05/25/fractal-v-lifecycle/ Software, research, and leadership Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:23:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://markstaples.com/2009/05/25/fractal-v-lifecycle/#comment-52 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:09:38 +0000 http://www.markstaples.com/?p=86#comment-52 I found the multiple V approach opens up some new thinking …. especially your idea of V’s of different sizes.
This really does need a diagram (and future article) but I always draw the V with a leading flat-line because so much needs to happen before development starts. That pre-development work may be estimating, negotiating, etc. that help create a business case (or contriact) that justifies the development effort.
Anyway, my point is that this early work is essential in a Waterfall development (but is redundant in Agile projects because it is iterative anyway) where a mini-v is necesary to establish a project’s scope before the real development starts – an often unrecognized stage. Your multiple V of different sizes helped make this visually clearer for me.

]]> https://markstaples.com/2009/05/25/fractal-v-lifecycle/#comment-51 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:16:48 +0000 http://www.markstaples.com/?p=86#comment-51 Today I see Brad Appleton has previously discussed relationships between agile methods and V lifecycle. In the comments there, Francis Law remarks on a “W lifecycle”, and Brad notes the repeated VVVV iteration model, but argues agile isn’t characterized by having repeated small iterations. I agree! I’m not claiming that the Fractal V Lifecycle is an agile method, but on the other hand I don’t think it’s inconsistent with an agile approach either.

]]>