Coding software is analogous to constructing a building. Both require much preliminary work. Constructing a building without a solid and stable foundation will not work. Coding without a solid and stable foundation of requirements and design will not work. Think about how much more difficult it is to modify a building after the foundation is poured!
Don't be coerced into coding prematurely because management wants to see "progress." Be sure the requirements and design are correct and appropriate before baselining them and certainly before coding the final product. Incidentally, don't conclude from this principle that prototyping is bad. There is nothing wrong with experimenting with coding long before requirements are baselined. Just don't consider it the final product. Manny Lehman adds a counterpoint to this principle: Don't code too late!
Reference:
Berzins, V., and Luqi, Software Engineering with Abstractions, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1991.
