16: Democracy Is the Worst Form of Government
Curtis Cole, a veteran embedded systems engineer and former VP of Engineering at Leapfrog, argues that Agile methodologies like Scrum and Test-Driven Development (TDD) are effective for embedded software when adapted to hardware constraints. He explains how user stories, sprints, and story points allow teams to manage unknown requirements and deliver incremental, usable prototypes without compromising the final product's stability. Cole emphasizes that Agile is merely a process tool; success depends on hiring skilled engineers who prioritize quality, testing, and modular design over mere speed.