Best Simple System for Now • Daniel Terhorst-North • GOTO 2025

This presentation was recorded at GOTO Copenhagen 2025. #GOTOcon #GOTOcph
https://gotocph.com

Daniel Terhorst-North - Originator of Behavior Driven Development (BDD) & Principal at Dan North & Associates @daniel-terhorst-north 

RESOURCES
https://bsky.app/profile/tastapod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tastapod
https://github.com/tastapod
https://mastodon.social/@tastapod
http://dannorth.net/blog
https://goalwards.co

Links
https://xkcd.com/974
https://adventofcode.com

ABSTRACT
Software teams often face a false choice: move fast and accumulate technical debt, or build the perfect system and miss the deadline. But there may be a third path, the Best Simple System for Now (BSSN).

This session introduces a pragmatic yet principled approach to software design: systems that are as simple as possible but no simpler. You’ll learn how to design code that is robust, change-friendly, and fit for purpose, while avoiding both gold-plating and corner-cutting.

Through practical examples, we explore how to manage complexity, embrace uncertainty, and make sound decisions using concepts like Cost of Delay and RAROC. [...]

TIMECODES
00:00 Intro
03:44 Agenda
05:05 Defining the best simple system for now
26:17 Do not try this at home
34:41 Why no one else is doing this
40:09 And then what?
43:00 Outro

Download slides and read the full abstract here:
https://gotocph.com/2025/sessions/3737

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Donald G. Reinertsen • The Principles of Product Development Flow • https://amzn.to/3hJ2Ye2
Eliyahu M. Goldratt • Beyond the Goal • https://amzn.to/3wDbAL1
Kent Beck, Fowler, John, William, Don & Gamma • Refactoring • https://amzn.to/3SFBYbN
Kent Beck & Cynthia Andres • Extreme Programming Explained • https://amzn.to/3KeL5P5
Jez Humble & Dave Farley • Continuous Delivery • https://amzn.to/3ocIHwd
Robert B Cialdini • Influence, New and Expanded • https://amzn.to/3tL8GxB
Aino Vonge Corry • Retrospective Antipatterns • https://amzn.to/3naFk84
Subramaniam & Hunt • Practices of an Agile Developer • https://amzn.to/2XjbWor

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