I really like his point that speed in and of itself is not a success criteria. If the software you develop isn't quality software, it may (or may not) be faster to get the first release of the product shipped.
However, the speed of development for the remainder of the product's life may be heavily reduced due to the lack of quality in the design.
A good example of the opinion that speed matters more is when someone states that "we don't have time to write unit tests." Writing tests may take longer in the short run, but if done right, the quality of the software increases, which may even help get the release of out the door faster. At least, the quality of the code will improve.
In the upcoming book by Roy Osherove, The Art of Unit Testing
The example in the book may not have been a very scientific study, but it shows that actions to increase the quality of the software may actually have the positive side effect of increasing the speed of development. Just remember that speed of development is not a quality in itself.
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