We use a musical metaphor to ask and answer a question about software development that must move by leaps, not just increments.
A case has been made that to be responsive at scale we would be better off if everyone chose the same tools so that engineers would not need to learn new tools as they move within the organization. This was recently expressed as a preference for Java over Ruby for new work.
I converted this long standing debate among programmers to the metaphorical question, who gets to choose the notes? That is, if we are all capable composers, why would we favor symphonic scores, unchanged over 100s of years over improvisational jazz?
The SaaS company might be more like the concert hall that seeks the continuing revenue of season ticket holders than the jazz club pushing the bounds of a musical form.
Does getting big and profitable make you slow?
See Spirit Scientists where I suggest revolutionary thinkers provide a muse for creative inspiration leading to a better result that clear requirements.
The moral I draw from three days programming with Emily is that I gave her a clear signal that I wanted her creative mind more than her coding skills when she joined my already improvisational project for three days.