Readme Driven Development or RDD, is a development process where you start your projects by writing the README file. Sounds logical, right?

But why?

Writing the README file first ensures you keep in mind what actual problem you need to solve by developing your project is. Before writing a single line of code, you should already know what functionalities, requirements, and features your software will have. So, without filling your head with technical issues that implementation might bring, you specify exactly what your project should do.

As a plus, you’ll get documentation you wont have to redo once your project is working. If you are unsure as of where to start your README try this.

RDD is very useful for working in interdisciplinary, heterogenous groups, or simply for personal projects. It’s easier to discuss the viability and usefulness of a project if you concentrate on the final features as it would be to discuss on technical grounds. People working on parallel or similar subjects can start developing to make the projects work together in the near future. This is exactly what happens at civic hack nights, where a team of people from different background come together to find solutions to social problematics. Not much coding can be done in a two-hour event, but by leaving a README you ensure the solution being presented can be developed in future sessions.