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Assumption Based Design vs Test Driven Development

Developers should use Assumption Based Design when working on innovative projects, complex systems, or in environments with high uncertainty, such as startups or new product development, to mitigate the risk of costly rework meets developers should use tdd when building reliable, maintainable software, especially in agile environments or for complex systems where requirements evolve. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Assumption Based Design

Developers should use Assumption Based Design when working on innovative projects, complex systems, or in environments with high uncertainty, such as startups or new product development, to mitigate the risk of costly rework

Assumption Based Design

Nice Pick

Developers should use Assumption Based Design when working on innovative projects, complex systems, or in environments with high uncertainty, such as startups or new product development, to mitigate the risk of costly rework

Pros

  • +It is particularly valuable in agile and lean contexts where rapid iteration is key, as it provides a structured way to validate hypotheses about user needs, technical feasibility, or market fit before investing significant resources
  • +Related to: lean-startup, agile-methodology

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Test Driven Development

Developers should use TDD when building reliable, maintainable software, especially in agile environments or for complex systems where requirements evolve

Pros

  • +It helps catch defects early, improves code quality through refactoring, and provides a safety net for changes, making it ideal for projects requiring high test coverage or frequent iterations, such as web applications or APIs
  • +Related to: unit-testing, automated-testing

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Assumption Based Design if: You want it is particularly valuable in agile and lean contexts where rapid iteration is key, as it provides a structured way to validate hypotheses about user needs, technical feasibility, or market fit before investing significant resources and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Test Driven Development if: You prioritize it helps catch defects early, improves code quality through refactoring, and provides a safety net for changes, making it ideal for projects requiring high test coverage or frequent iterations, such as web applications or apis over what Assumption Based Design offers.

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The Bottom Line
Assumption Based Design wins

Developers should use Assumption Based Design when working on innovative projects, complex systems, or in environments with high uncertainty, such as startups or new product development, to mitigate the risk of costly rework

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