Towards Permeable Scope
“Scope creep” is a term that tends to come up often when working on a software project. It’s an interesting term to think about because it usually means that the individual, the team, or the company really need to step back and re-think why changing scope should be a bad thing.
The last time I checked, my job was to solve business problems or create business opportunities for my customers. If this is the case, then why should I care if scope changes? Shouldn’t changing scope be a good thing? If the scope is changing then it likely means that the business has found a new opportunity or that we have received feedback on something that could add significant value to the market or to our customers. If my heart is in the right place and I really care about delivering value then change can be a good thing.
The problem with “scope creep” is not changing scope; the problem is really a process or mindset that doesn’t allow for change. Pouring concrete on your requirements might help with predictability, but it sure doesn’t help you build great software.