[koolmoe]

I think there are certain aspects of Web startups that require iteration - it's not easy to figure out exactly what customers want on the first try. Even the customers might not (usually won't?) know until they've started to use your product.

OTOH, there is no excuse for sloppy programming under the mantra of iterative development. Code is usually better when you've taken a little time to think about how to solve the problem at hand.

I do think that Dijkstra's expectations are a bit lofty for the general population of programmers, though. For a large class of us, the biggest problem is just getting started. For me, it's a lot easier to get into flow by tinkering with some part of a program than to try to put the whole thing together in my mind. By the end, I usually have a large chunk of the app in my head. The expectation that every keystroke must be perfect from the outset would be enough to discourage me from even starting.