Skip to content

Run through the finish

Make that last code change.

Write that last test.

Look in that document, rather than trying to remember what color the icon is supposed to be.

Write that documentation.

Look at your work with the eyes of a user.

I work in a small development department (2 developers plus a number of contractors) and I need to constantly remind myself to run through the finish.

I ran in high school and college (cross country and track) and at the very end, it is easy to let your guard down and coast.  After all, you’ve done almost all of the hard work.  And no one is really behind you.  And it hurts (oh yes, it hurts).  So, why not ease off a bit?

The problem is, there is someone behind you, and they have you in their cross hairs.  They have the incentive and the vision of their competition, but you have the lead.  Why give up any advantage?

Development isn’t painful, but it can be a slog.  Yes, yes, I’m sure there are shops that never have a slog.  But, for most mortals, there are requirements that are changed or were forgotten, tasks that are less fun than others, tweaks to the UI for the Nth time, vendor rigidity that never surfaced during the sales process, and other sundry annoyances.  But you as the developer own the final product.  You can choose to coast, since you did 99% of the work (and did it well), or you can choose to run through the finish.

Run through the finish.