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Ready

Why Most Software Projects Fail and How to Fix It

Max Guernsey, III and Luniel de Beer

Most delivery problems aren't caused by the code, the team, or the work management process.

They start upstream: with how requirements mature (or don't).

Ready introduces Requirements Maturation Flow (RMF), a system for gating, clarifying, and aligning work — before it starts and without changing your framework.

If your Sprints end in carryover, rework, or delivering the wrong thing, RMF is the structural fix you've been missing.

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About

About

About the Book

Ready is a book for anyone tired of underdelivery, chronic rework, and unclear requirements in their software development pipeline.

You may already have tried investing in team execution skills, improved implementation of your process framework, or refurbishing the code and still need more improvement.

This is because the principal constraint for most software development teams is not team skills, it's requirements maturity. Even mature teams with the right skills still struggle when they are working to immature requirements.

Ready introduces RMF (Requirements Maturation Flow), a practical and deeply structured approach to aligning Product and Engineering without replacing your existing process.

Whether you're using Scrum, Kanban, or something custom, RMF helps you stabilize scope, eliminate carryover, and deliver what actually matters.

If your teams feel stuck at the edge of "almost done", this book will show you how to break the cycle and unblock your team(s) for good.

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ScrumAgile EnterpriseBusiness and IT AlignmentAgileScrumEngineering ManagementProduct ManagementTeamwork

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Author

About the Authors

Max Guernsey, III

Max Guernsey, III is a software architect, educator, and co-founder of Producore, a consultancy dedicated to fixing delivery failures through structural and technical rigor. With over two decades of experience in object‑oriented design, refactoring, test‑driven development, and design patterns, he has both delivered mission‑critical systems and coached engineering teams at scale. His work blends deep technical practices with behavioral and process transformation to help organizations achieve sustainable delivery excellence.

Leanpub Podcast

Episode 323

An Interview with MaxGuernseyIII

Luniel de Beer

Luniel de Beer is a software product and delivery systems architect with over 15 years of experience helping teams work with clarity, confidence, and accountability. He is the creator of the Requirements Maturation Flow (RMF) and the originator of Producore’s Capability Management system, both designed to address the missing foundations beneath modern software product delivery. His work replaces vague requirements and broken handoffs with structured collaboration, traceability, and readiness gating.

Luniel also envisioned PKB-Driven Development (PKBDD), a system for managing persistent product knowledge, and has worked alongside his Producore co-founder, Max Guernsey, III, to advance a scalable, rigorous approach to Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). Their integrated system combines behavioral specification, capability modeling, and product traceability to support end-to-end delivery across teams and organizations.

Leanpub Podcast

Episode 322

An Interview with Luniel de Beer

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Contents

Table of Contents

    • About This Book
    • Who This Is For
    • How to Use This Book
    • About the Authors
    • Preface
    Part I:Something Is Missing
    • Chapter 1:The Hidden Problem
    • Chapter 2:The Cost of Missing Foundations
    • Chapter 3:Introducing Requirements Maturation Flow (RMF)
    • Chapter 4:Is It Agile?
    Part II:Creating Space for Readiness
    • Chapter 5:The First Extension
    • Chapter 6:Why Don’t People Do This?
    • Chapter 7:Explicit Readiness Work (RMF 1)
    • Chapter 8:Effects of RMF 1
    • Chapter 9:Putting RMF 1 Into Practice
    Part III:Gating Completion of Work
    • Chapter 10:The Next Need
    • Chapter 11:What People Usually Do
    • Chapter 12:Defining a Definition of Done
    • Chapter 13:Bespoke Definition of Done (RMF 2)
    • Chapter 14:Life With RMF 1 & 2
    • Chapter 15:Installing RMF 2
    Part IV:Gating Implementation
    • Chapter 16:The Final Requirement
    • Chapter 17:Background on Definition of Ready
    • Chapter 18:Defining a Definition of Ready
    • Chapter 19:Bespoke Definition of Ready (RMF 3)
    Part V:Synthesis
    • Chapter 20:Most Deadlines Don’t Matter
    • Chapter 21:Competency 1: Requirements Maturation Flow
    • Chapter 22:How Work and Information Flows in Scrum with RMF
    • Chapter 23:The Impact of RMF
    • Chapter 24:Transitioning to RMF
    • Chapter 25:It’s Up to You
    Part VI:Resources
    • Appendix A: Scrum Is Not the Problem
    • Appendix B: The Synapse Framework™
    • Appendix C: Common Objections and Obstacles to RMF 1
    • Appendix D: DoD Starter Criteria Lists
    • Appendix E: DoR Starter Criteria Lists

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