Episode 83: Jeff DeLuca on Feature Driven Development

Planning

Feature Driven Development (FDD) employs a unique planning approach that emphasizes flexibility and client collaboration. Jeff DeLuca explains that FDD involves high-level planning where features are grouped and scheduled based on client needs and dependencies 1. This method allows for a dynamic arrangement of features, guided by dependencies and agreed delivery dates. DeLuca notes, "We'll have a very coarse plan that goes back to the client that says something like you'll get prospecting in January, you'll get basic application in March, and individual lines of credit in June, and so on" 2. This approach contrasts with traditional fixed iterations, offering more flexibility in feature delivery.

   

Development

In FDD, design and development are centered around creating client-valued functions through incremental and continuous integration. Jeff DeLuca highlights that FDD focuses on sequence diagramming and formal inspections without prescribing specific implementation techniques 3. This flexibility allows teams to adapt to project complexities while ensuring that each feature is a client-valued function. DeLuca states, "Every feature that is promoted to build is itself a client valued function. It could be broken off and tested independently in client valued terms" 4. This approach ensures that each increment is deployable, facilitating parallel system testing and integration.