Pattern

Cost of Late Defects (Boehm's 1:10:100)

A defect found during design costs roughly 1 unit to fix. Found during testing it costs 10. Found in production it costs 100.

How to use it. Use it to argue for moving checks earlier: automated tests, code review, contract tests, and design review. The earlier you catch a defect, the cheaper it is.

How it gets misused. The exact multipliers are disputed and depend heavily on context. Use the shape of the curve and ignore the specific numbers. Quoting "100x" as fact overclaims.

Principle Feedback Loops Every system improves at the rate of its slowest feedback loop. Shorten the loops between action and outcome.
Practice Test-Driven Development Write the test first. Write only enough code to make it pass. Refactor. Repeat.

Cost of Late Defects (Boehm's 1:10:100)

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