SDLC
The software delivery lifecycle only fails at the handoffs. I own the full cycle from requirement to release — so each phase hands the next one exactly what it needs to move fast.
The Workflow — How I Approach It
Requirements
Capture what we’re building and why — before anyone designs or estimates.
Design & planning
Architecture, effort, and schedule agreed before the build begins.
Build
Track work through the cycle with clear, honest status — no hidden states.
Test
Define “done” as tested, not just built — quality is a phase, not a hope.
Release & stabilize
Controlled go-live with a rollback ready — releases are events, not adventures.
My Operating View — The 2 Cents
The SDLC’s real job is clean handoffs. My 2 cents: the artifact that moves between phases matters more than the meeting. If design receives a complete requirements document, the build goes faster — and testing stops being the place where problems are discovered.
What Worked & What Didn’t
What Worked
- Clean phase handoffs — each team started from a complete handoff, not a guess.
- “Done” defined as tested — defects stopped leaking into release.
What Didn’t
- Throwing requirements over the wall — rework was the tax.
- Treating testing as the last phase — the most expensive place to find defects.