Hofstadter’s Law
Summary
Section titled “Summary”It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.
Origin
Section titled “Origin”Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach (1979).
Still Applicable?
Section titled “Still Applicable?”Sadly, yes.
Context Notes:
Section titled “Context Notes:”This self-referential law captures the inherent difficulty of software estimation. It reminds leaders to build in buffer time and not to anchor plans too tightly to optimistic projections.