Quite simply, test-driven development is meant to eliminate fear in application development. While some fear is healthy (often viewed as a conscience that tells programmers to "be careful!"), the author believes that byproducts of fear include tentative, grumpy, and uncommunicative programmers who are unable to absorb constructive criticism. When programming teams buy into TDD, they immediately see positive results. They eliminate the fear involved in their jobs, and are better equipped to tackle the difficult challenges that face them. TDD eliminates tentative traits, it teaches programmers to communicate, and it encourages team members to seek out criticism However, even the author admits that grumpiness must be worked out individually! In short, the premise behind TDD is that code should be continually tested and refactored. Kent Beck teaches programmers by example, so they can painlessly and dramatically increase the quality of their work.

Test-driven development (TDD) is a new approach to application development that is designed to eliminate the fear often associated with building software. Admittedly, some fear is healthy (often viewed as a conscience that tells programmers to "be careful!"), but the author believes that programmers build better software when they have the freedom to be creative. By building tests before coding begins, programmers ensure the success of their application from the outset. Students are more likely to achieve positive results with TDD. The author's example-driven approach also teaches students to be better communicators, and encourages team members to seek out constructive criticism.