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Waterfall and risk of misfit

publish date: 2026/05/28 22:08:34.371414 UTC

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Because requirements are fixed early in the waterfall model, there is a risk that the delivered system does not match user needs.

Which factor most contributes to this risk?

Users may not fully understand their needs at the start of the project.

Documentation is always incorrect by definition.

Programming languages are too expressive.

Testing is performed too frequently.

Users may not fully understand their needs at the start of the project.

Users often refine their understanding over time; freezing requirements early can lock in misunderstandings that are costly to correct later.

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 9th edition