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Discussion on: How Do You Foster Accountability & Meet Deadlines in Coding Teams?

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jonrandy profile image
Jon Randy 🎖️ • Edited

Tasks are done when they're done. If you're setting hard deadlines in software development, you're doing it wrong. I've never had one in almost 30 years as a developer, and soft deadlines are generally meaningless... the world doesn't end if they're missed - the project goes on.

The only times I've seen hard deadlines set in companies are at times when they are seeking a reason to justify firing someone WITHOUT paying severance - and these instances normally originate from outside of software teams.

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freddyhm profile image
Freddy Hidalgo-Monchez

I understand how deadlines can be used unproductively, but I'm curious, how would estimating a project's time & cost be achieved if a rough timeline is not set?

One thing I noticed is the importance of how deadlines are communicated: I've seen them motivate a team to reach a common goal, and sadly too often, stress a team towards unhealthy decisions.