Chapter 5 is about feature selection. Getting Real points out that we should build half the product because we can’t finish all things in a day and so that we know what the essential features in the program are. We should segregate the features until we can’t segregate it. Thus, you will be left out with the important features. We should not focus on much of the details because it is not important. As a programmer, we should know what are the things that can be included in the program that we make so that we will not waste our time doing things which is not important. We should know first if we can do all the features, if not then decide for the important things that the program will have.
The one that I like in this cahpter is the question can you handle it? As a programer, you know if you can do it or not. If not, then hire skilled programmer who will do it for you. Know your capacity as a programmer, don’t make promises to the clients if you can’t do it. Each time you add features, it will be hard to implement. We thought that having many features will let the people impress our programs but actually it doesn’t. It is hard for the user to know the functions of the features you make so we must limit the features we have. Also, it will make process more slow, if it has many features attached to the program.
Expose the hidden costs. As a developer, you need to think advance the cost that you will have. You must know how to estimate well because the client will question you if you always ask again and again for an additional price. Thus, the developer should know the hidden cost of the features to easily know the price that they will ask for their client.
