Applying Elon Musk’s engineering principles to software development
The five-step process and how it relates to software engineering
I recently listened to Elon Musk’s interview from Tim Dodd of the Everyday Astronaut as Elon gave him a guided tour of the SpaceX Starbase site. It was a YouTube video, but I say listened and not watched because I was riding my bike with my phone in my pocket.
In response to a question about a design change to part of the rocket, Elon began describing a five-step process that he tries to have everyone at SpaceX implement rigorously. As I continued pedaling my bike down the streets and sidewalks of Ulaanbaatar, I began to wonder how these engineering principles might apply to software development. The content that follows is a continuation of those thoughts. Numbered section headings and large text are quotes from Elon Musk.
1. Make your requirements less dumb
Your requirements are definitely dumb. It does not matter who gave them to you. It’s particularly dangerous if a smart person gave you the requirements because you might not question them enough.
