Episode 83: Jeff DeLuca on Feature Driven Development

Fixed Price

Feature Driven Development (FDD) is particularly well-suited for fixed price projects, as explained by Jeff DeLuca. He notes that most of his projects have been fixed price, making FDD optimized for such scenarios 1. This method allows for flexibility in feature sequencing while adhering to broad milestones, which is crucial for maintaining budget constraints. Robert Blumen questions how FDD handles the typical agile flexibility within fixed price contracts, highlighting the balance FDD strikes between planning and adaptability 2.

Fixed price development is the norm. It fits very well.

--- Jeff DeLuca

FDD's upfront planning activities help calibrate construction estimates, ensuring projects remain on track financially.

   

Real-World Examples

Real-world applications of FDD demonstrate its effectiveness in various contexts. Jeff DeLuca shares that FDD provides a solid baseline for tracking and reporting, which is appealing to corporate and commercial developers 3. He emphasizes that FDD is not a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a flexible approach that can be tailored to fit existing practices and resources 4. A notable example is a lending system developed for a bank in Singapore, showcasing FDD's adaptability even when extensive documentation like use cases is involved.

The things that draw most people towards FDD is it gives them a good baseline for reporting against.

--- Jeff DeLuca

This adaptability makes FDD a versatile choice for projects with varying requirements and constraints.