How Software Learns

We now take it as a given that software products must evolve, and rapidly, if they are to succeed. But how do you know which parts of your code base are likely to undergo radical transformation and which will will change more slowly? Fortunately, we have other examples we can look to for answers. In 1994, Stewart Brand described how buildings adapt over time when he published “How Buildings Learn”. In this talk, we’ll examine the nature of change in construction and other industries. The patterns seen elsewhere tell us a great deal about how we should approach building software in need of continuous adjustment and revision.