Ultimately, software development is about creating value—yet, all too often, software fails to deliver the business value customers need. This book will help you change that, by linking software development directly to value creation. You'll learn exactly how to identify which features add value and which don't—and refocus your entire development process on delivering more value, more rapidly.

Software by Numbers shows you how to:

Identify Minimum Marketable Features (MMFs)—the fundamental units of value in software development

Accelerate value delivery by linking iterative development to iterative funding

Optimize returns through incremental architecture techniques

Effectively involve business stakeholders in the development process

Sequence feature delivery based on "mini-ROI" assessments

Quantify financial risk at every step throughout the development process

Manage "intangibles" throughout the software development process

Whatever methodology you're already using—whether it's RUP or XP—this book shows how to achieve the goals that matter most to your business: reduced risk, better cash flow, and higher ROI.