To say that at DP we are obsessed with Risk Minimization--for ourselves, for our clients, for our employees--would be an understatement.

We believe strongly that Murphy's Law always holds true--and that Murphy can also be quashed through an unrelenting paranoia that translates into smart, pre-emptive action.

We have developed, and rigorously follow, our own Risk Minimization methodologies and techniques.

Here are some elements of how DP approaches Risk Minimization:

• When we begin any project, the first thing we do is ask ourselves, "What are the ten most likely ways this project will fail?" and then come up with a pre-emptive plan for each one of the ten.
  
  
• At every phase in a project life-cycle, we rank all risks in order of importance (and we define importance as severity * likelihood) and constantly solve the most important risk. Everyone on a given team is constantly reprioritizing their time based on changing circumstances.
  
  
• The members of our various teams speak to each other constantly, formally and informally, about the different projects and different problems because informal and open internal communication flows help us pre-empt problems. We strongly encourage open communication between ourselves.
  
  
• We test everything; We measure everything that can be measured and estimate numbers for everything else. We live in a never-ending trial-and-error loop, so that we can make our mistakes--which we know we will make--when the stakes are smaller.
  
  
• We never take on huge projects; instead, we break big projects down into smaller ones, and make each smaller phase of the project contingent upon successful completion of the previous phase. This allows us to test the client, and the client to test us.
  
  
• We do the same within each small phase of a project: in other words, we work iteratively. Instead of building something "perfect" and then showing it the client, we build things in small & quick ways, and have the client constantly evaluate & provide feedback at every step, so that we are sure we are creating what he envisions. We release early and often.
  
  
• We never hire untested programmers or designers; rather, we always give internal test projects to new programmers and developers to ensure that their working styles and the quality of their work are compatible with ours.
  
  
• Monomaniacal Paranoia overtakes us at the slightest delay on a schedule.
  
  
• We only hire people who, like us, are also obsessed with Risk Minimization.
  
  
• We keep open and constant communication with the client, so that he knows of any delays or problems, and can help us prioritize our resources so as to ensure that our prioritizations are the same as his.