Human Task Switches Considered Harmful

a) sequential processing gets you results faster on average, and
b) the longer it takes to task switch, the bigger the penalty you pay for multitasking.

Joel doesn’t take into account that sometimes multitasking projects helps keep developer intrest and stimulate new and creative ideas. But in general he is probably right, as long as the project at hand is stimulating enough.

Human Task Switches Considered Harmful

a) sequential processing gets you results faster on average, and
b) the longer it takes to task switch, the bigger the penalty you pay for multitasking.

Joel doesn’t take into account that sometimes multitasking projects helps keep developer intrest and stimulate new and creative ideas. But in general he is probably right, as long as the project at hand is stimulating enough.