Coverage: The Joel Test — 12 Steps to Better Code¶
Source: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/08/09/the-joel-test-12-steps-to-better-code/ Mapped against spec version: 0.3.0 Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
The assessment covers 9 of the 12 steps in full (three of those through the modern successor of the original practice) and 3 partially. The structural difference: the Joel Test is 12 binary yes/no questions scored against the same bar for every team; this assessment turns each practice into a diagnostic conversation and scores distance from the team's own bar (importance × maturity) instead of a fixed checklist.
| # | Joel Test step | Our item(s) | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do you use source control? | 5.1 Version Control System | ✅ Full |
| 2 | Can you make a build in one step? | 5.4 Project Build, 5.2 Project Installation | ✅ Full |
| 3 | Do you make daily builds? | 5.13 CI/CD | ✅ Full (modernized) |
| 4 | Do you have a bug database? | 2.5 Task Management | ✅ Full |
| 5 | Do you fix bugs before writing new code? | 4.6 Technical Debt, 2.6 Prioritization and Decision Making | ⚠️ Partial |
| 6 | Do you have an up-to-date schedule? | 2.7 Project Estimation, 1.5 Product Roadmap | ✅ Full |
| 7 | Do you have a spec? | 1.4 Functional and Non-Functional Requirements, 3.1 System Documentation | ✅ Full |
| 8 | Do you use the best tools money can buy? | 7.1 Working Conditions | ✅ Full |
| 9 | Do you have quiet working conditions? | 7.1 Working Conditions, 7.2 Remote Work / Hybrid Efficiency | ✅ Full (modernized) |
| 10 | Do you have testers? | 4.8 Unit Tests, 4.9 Integration & E2E Testing, 5.5 Project Testing, 2.2 Roles and Responsibilities | ⚠️ Partial (deliberate) |
| 11 | Do new candidates write code during their interview? | 7.3 HR & Recruiting Alignment | ⚠️ Partial |
| 12 | Do you do hallway usability testing? | 1.6 User Research & Feedback Loops | ✅ Full (modernized) |
Notes on modernized coverage¶
- #3 Daily builds → continuous integration on every commit (5.13) superseded the nightly build.
- #9 Quiet working conditions → assessed as workspace quality across office, remote, and hybrid setups (7.1, 7.2).
- #12 Hallway usability testing → structured user research and feedback loops (1.6) superseded ad-hoc hallway tests.
Notes on partial coverage¶
- #5 Fix bugs before writing new code. We assess whether technical debt is known, prioritized, and remediated (4.6) and how trade-offs are decided (2.6), but no question asks the sharp version: "does new feature work start while known bugs sit unfixed?" Candidate question for a future MINOR release (add to 4.6).
- #10 Do you have testers? Deliberate. The industry largely moved from dedicated QA headcount to engineer-owned automated testing, which 4.8, 4.9, and 5.5 assess thoroughly; whether a person owns QA falls under 2.2 Roles and Responsibilities but is not asked explicitly.
- #11 Candidates write code during the interview. 7.3 checks whether engineering and recruiting are aligned on what is hired for, but nothing probes the interview format itself. The only Joel step with no direct equivalent question; candidate addition to 7.3 in a future MINOR release.