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By keeping releases small and frequent we give more rapid feedback
to users, and we therefore get more feedback from them. This feedback
makes several things possible. It allows the programmers to accurately
predict, within a few weeks of project start, how much work will
be done by the project deadline. It allows customers to work with
programmers to change the scope of the project, as they learn more
about what customers really need.
Sometimes the feedback indicates that a project should be cancelled
before it can be completed, because there is not enough time to
produce enough features to make the project worthwhile. This is
an outcome that an XP team (including a consulting team such as
Adaption's) will embrace, without penalties of any kind. If insufficient
real business value is being produced for the customer and project
stakeholders, then everyone should move on to another project that
does produce that business value.
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