Barry Boehm's cost-of-change curve—the idea that late changes in software are exponentially more expensive—was valid in the 1970s-80s but no longer reflects modern reality. Three forces have flattened the curve: modern IDEs and tooling, automated testing and CI, and modular architectures. Agile further reduced costs by
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Boehm Was Right… for the World He StudiedThe Curve Has Been Flattening for a Long TimeThe Death of “Prototype vs Build”Agile Was Built on the Assumption That Change Was AffordableAI Is Flattening the Curve AgainWhat Hasn’t Gotten CheaperRequirements Don’t Need to Be Perfect—They Need to Be RevisableWhat This Looks Like in PracticeSo What Should Managers and Teams Do Differently?The Cost-of-Change Curve Isn’t Flat—But It’s Dramatically FlatterIf You Still Fear Change, You’re Managing Like It’s 2005Sort: