Iterative Delivery & Flow

Agile teams depend on steady flow and fast feedback to deliver value early and often. These laws reveal the dynamics behind queues, delays, and diminishing returns, helping teams understand why work stalls, how to maintain sustainable pace, and when progress is merely an illusion. By applying these principles, teams improve predictability, reduce waste, and build systems that support continuous, iterative delivery.

Little's Law

The average number of items in a system equals their arrival rate multiplied by their average time in the system.

Boehm's Curve

The cost of fixing defects rises exponentially the later they are found in the development cycle.

Kingman's Formula

Queueing delays increase exponentially as system utilization approaches 100%.

Queueing Theory

Studies how work items wait in line for limited resources, explaining delays, bottlenecks, and variability in flow.

Ninety-Ninety Rule

"The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% accounts for the other 90% of the time."