Cognitive biases in software development
summary
Argues that 200+ biases (per cognitive bias codex by Buster Benson) drive repeatable software errors and shows concrete fixes: anchoring wrecks time estimates and used‑car style pricing, so use model‑based estimation (Troy McGinnis tools) and pair programming; confirmation bias produces “happy‑path” tests and bad debugging, so require hypothesis testing; fixation causes crashes (United Flight 173) and prompts crew resource management training; sunk‑cost examples include a payroll project ballooning from 6 million to 1.2 billion; recommends retros, kickoff docs and diversity as defenses.
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chapters (28)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:30Cognitive Bias Codex
- 3:02Too much information
- 4:23Anchoring
- 4:51Real world example
- 8:50Confirmation bias
- 9:17Confirmation bias in software
- 12:25Availability bias in software
- 15:18Framing and fixation
- 15:49United Airlines Flight 173
- 24:20Not finding enough meaning
- 25:23Not invented here
- 28:31Extrinsic motivation
- 29:53Ranking of motivations
- 32:07Motivation
- 33:01hindsight bias
- 34:05kickoff
- 35:56change
- 37:06act fast
- 38:10overconfidence
- 41:15flow of averages
- 43:09unningkruger effect
- 43:35lower ability
- 48:02appeal to novelty
- 48:48The dotcom bubble
- 51:22Cost fallacy
- 55:42Memories
- 57:09Negativity
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