Seth Godin writes:

If you do anything at the last minute that takes more than a minute, you’re not organizing your project properly.

The last minute is not a buffer zone, nor is it the moment to double-check your work.

The last minute is simply sixty seconds to enjoy and to remind yourself that you successfully planned ahead.

I wonder if this could ever be the case with software projects. Either way, it’s definitely something to aim for; by defining smaller projects that have shorter lifespans