Highlights from Pragmatic Programmer

“Great software today is often preferable to perfect software tomorrow. If you give your users something to play with early, their feedback will often lead you to a better eventual solution”

“Don't say it can't be done; explain what can be done to salvage the situation”

“The greatest of all weaknesses is the fear of appearing weak”
J. B. Bossuet, Politics from Holy Writ, 1709

“You have the right not to take on a responsibility for an impossible situation, or one in which the risks are too great”

“Before you approach anyone to tell them why something can't be done, is late, or is broken, stop and listen to yourself”

“Don't leave "broken windows" (bad designs, wrong decisions, or poor code) unrepaired”

“If you find yourself working on a project with quite a few broken windows, it's all too easy to slip into the mindset of "All the rest of this code is crap, I'll just follow suit."”

“Even if there's a fire raging (deadline, release date, trade show demo, etc.), you don't want to be the first one to make a mess”

“EVERY PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE MUST HAVE A SINGLE, UNAMBIGUOUS, AUTHORITATIVE REPRESENTATION WITHIN A SYSTEM”