The Software Development Flow Diagram
End-to-end software development process — from pain point to commissioned solution.
The diagram shows three things working together:
- Development Journey: Linear progression of a feature from pain to commission
- Two VVFL Loops: Dream Team (value) and Engineering (correctness) feedback loops running in parallel
- Three Credibility Loops: Verification layers from internal functionality out to market validation
Reading the Diagram
Each stage builds on the last. Requirements trace from pain through to commission — nothing starts without a demand signal, nothing ships without a passing proof. The two VVFL loops close independently but compound together: the Dream loop validates value, the Engineering loop validates correctness. Both must pass before a feature is commissioned.
The three credibility layers answer who trusts the output: internal tests first, then the team, then the market. Moving outward without closing the inner loop is how trust gets spent faster than it is earned.
For the full principle set behind this flow, see Software Development.
Context
- Flow Engineering — How pictures become working systems
- VVFL Loop — The feedback loop this diagram implements
- Validate Outcomes — How commissioning is confirmed
Questions
At which stage in this flow do most development efforts break down — and what does that reveal about where the real constraint sits?
- Which of the two VVFL loops (Dream Team vs Engineering) is more often skipped in practice — and what is the downstream cost?
- What is the minimum evidence required at each credibility layer before moving outward?