> The thesis is predicated on the idea that people claim this is the result of some study. I’ve never once heard it presented that way. It's a rule of thumb.
Code Complete cites eight sources to support the claim that the average cost to fix a defect introduced during requirements is 10-100x if it's not detected until after release. My qualm with Hillel's original assertion is that "They all use this chart from the 'IBM Systems Sciences Institute'" (emphasis added). I haven't personally vetted Steve McConnell's citations, but I am skeptical that they all share this common origin.
Laurent Bossavit’s The Leorechauns of Software Engineering looks into this claim (and several others) and finds that, yes, many of these studies do share a common origin, and often misquote/misrepresent it.
Code Complete cites eight sources to support the claim that the average cost to fix a defect introduced during requirements is 10-100x if it's not detected until after release. My qualm with Hillel's original assertion is that "They all use this chart from the 'IBM Systems Sciences Institute'" (emphasis added). I haven't personally vetted Steve McConnell's citations, but I am skeptical that they all share this common origin.