What development style is observed in SpaceX's approach compared to the traditional government approach?

Iterative/Rapid Prototyping

SpaceX's observed development style is fundamentally iterative and characterized by rapid prototyping. This contrasts sharply with the traditional government approach, which often relies on a Waterfall or sequential model. In the iterative model, developers build an initial version, test it rigorously, analyze the resulting data, and then quickly implement fixes or improvements into the next iteration. This method is intrinsically linked to their philosophy of 'build, fly, fail, fix, and repeat,' enabling them to gain operational experience at a much higher cadence than processes that require exhaustive upfront qualification before any flight testing occurs.