The (false) belief that large, innovative software designs can be
completely specified in advance and then painlessly magicked out of
the void by the normal efforts of a team of normally talented
programmers. In fact, experience has shown repeatedly that good
designs arise only from evolutionary, exploratory interaction between
one (or at most a small handful of) exceptionally able designer(s)
and an active user population -- and that the first try at a big new
idea is always wrong. Unfortunately, because these truths don't fit
the planning models beloved of {management}, they are generally
ignored.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {Brooks's Law}{TCP/IP}]