The value of Version 1.1

As agile processes reform the SLDC, expectations and deliverables converge. However, initial releases still have gaps. This is a software tautology: user acceptance arrives when the second release arrives. Version 1.0 is successful development. Version 1.1 is successful software.

Version 1.0 planning should include version 1.1 planning. Version 1.1 translates to user acceptance – software success's pinnacle measure. For project completion, stop at version 1.0. For successful software, push on for version 1.1.

Here's the deal. Version 1.0 can be great, but users rarely understand day-to-day impact of software until they use it day-to-day. It's not a sign of failure. On the contrary, it's a sign of partial success that users are exercising the application. It's the path to success.

So release – twice.