title: Software is testing
url: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2016/01/software-is-testing.html
hash_url: c0ecb4bba8efbe26c57fa8d0caef4743

<p>Writing the first draft of a computer program is easy. It's the <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/micahel/archive/2004/07/07/did-i-remember-to.aspx" target="_blank">testing</a> that separates the <a href="http://blog.codinghorror.com/doing-terrible-things-to-your-code/" target="_blank">professional</a> from a mere hack. Test and then, of course, make it better.</p>
<p>The same thing is true with:</p>
<ul>
<li>Restaurant recipes</li>
<li>Essays</li>
<li>Web user interface</li>
<li>Customer service</li>
<li>Management techniques</li>
<li>Licensing agreements</li>
<li>Strategy</li>
<li>Relationships of all kinds</li>
</ul>
<p>The reason it's so difficult to test and improve is that it requires you to acknowledge that your original plan wasn't perfect. And to have the humility and care to go ahead and fix it.</p>
<p>No fair announcing that you're good at starting things. The world is looking for people who are good at polishing them until they work.</p>