"any decent programmer will tackle any chance for some research and exploration"
Doesn't that depend on your definition of "decent"?
I'd question whether putting research and exploration over a known, workable solution with the end result that you miss an otherwise reasonable deadline, isn't necessarily "decent" behavior.
Learning, investigation and curiosity are good and vital but if the job you're paid to do is to deliver software on time the trade off between that and delivery should be consciously weighed and communicated, not just assumed that the fun thing wins.
(Incidentally, I'm not agreeing that this is the only reason that deadlines are missed - it's one reason but the list elsewhere in this thread contains a lot of truth too, particularly the bit about imposed deadlines which is 100% the case on the project I'm on now).
Doesn't that depend on your definition of "decent"?
I'd question whether putting research and exploration over a known, workable solution with the end result that you miss an otherwise reasonable deadline, isn't necessarily "decent" behavior.
Learning, investigation and curiosity are good and vital but if the job you're paid to do is to deliver software on time the trade off between that and delivery should be consciously weighed and communicated, not just assumed that the fun thing wins.
(Incidentally, I'm not agreeing that this is the only reason that deadlines are missed - it's one reason but the list elsewhere in this thread contains a lot of truth too, particularly the bit about imposed deadlines which is 100% the case on the project I'm on now).