When Metaphors Go Bad

I have a problem, sometimes I think too much, but I don't ever accuse you of thinking too much or "over"engineering or "thinking" too early. But, I have been wondering about these new ways software is recommended to be developed. This installment of this series will analyze the consequences of the use of the term "grow" as applied to creating software.

The reason a certain term is chosen must be because it is meaningful to the audience. So certainly the agricultural software development community must be what is intended. But what does it mean to grow software?

1. mold grows

2. flowers grow

3. a crop grows

4. a tree grows

If I missed the intended grow item, can you let me know?

Mold? well, I don't really think that is desirable in any way whatsoever?

Flowers? Ok, flowers can be really pretty, but they don't serve much use except for making seeds, are seeds really the nuggets we desire?

A crop? Well, maybe that is it, we raise a crop of software so we can sell it and make lots of money?

A tree? Well, a tree is a beautiful creation of nature, it converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, we create houses and fire out of the wood, hmmm.

I don't think any of that was really planned.

But we might think of building software, like a building, but how can we apply agile principles to growing a building? it will just get bigger, that is how building grow, um, wait a minute, I will save "build" as my next installment.