When Quantity Trumps Quality

Conventional wisdom says quality, not quantity counts, but programmer Jeff Atwood disagrees. He says practice—great quantities of practice—bring quality.

Quantity always trumps quality. That’s why the one bit of advice I always give aspiring bloggers is to pick a schedule and stick with it. It’s the only advice that matters, because until you’ve mentally committed to doing it over and over, you will not improve. You can’t. When it comes to software, the same rule applies. If you aren’t building, you aren’t learning. Rather than agonising over whether you’re building the right thing, just build it. And if that one doesn’t work, keep building until you get one that does.

Atwood’s advice applies to making anything—from software to ceramics to paintings to screenplays. Thanks, Peter!