An Exception to the Google Rule?

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. An Exception to the Google Rule?
I've seen this in a bunch of places today: "Trying stuff is cheaper than deciding whether to try it." That is to say, it's cheaper to hack together some Perl or Python script to see if something works and is popular than it is to do needs assessments, feasibility studies, and all the rest of the usual planning before product development. I think this is true - and as a corollary, I would add that "trying stuff is the only way for small companies or individuals to see if something works." Which is why I spend so much time (not enough, alas) messing around in Perl. More...