#7 One Architect/Analyst can generate enough work for two Developers and one Tester, structure your project teams in this ratio.

This is actually one of those “rules of thumb” that have been borne out over time. (The ratio may vary a bit from case to case, like when the experience levels are different across the roles.) This ratio combines with the specialization of principle #6 to form the strong basis for the Cascade effect covered in the last principle to come.

I will be using the most common ‘role titles’ of analyst, designer, developer, and tester for the remainder of these blog posts. Sometimes these roles have different names, and there are many other roles in IT overall, but these four are the most recognizable to anyone doing primarily project work. (And the Project Manager makes five! Can’t forget them…)