Sorry, I should have been more clear. Independent validation and verification is a thing: https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/independent_verification.... We still use it in, for instance, NPP automation, avionics, and defense. Which not only makes sense but usually required by law. Interestingly, outside these few domains, we usually omit it as too costly as if doing the first and only independent validation with our own users is not.

Useful to know, thanks. Trouble is, it's going to be damn expensive and I know no shortage of bosses who will become angry at having failures pointed out. It really takes money and a good mindset.

> we usually omit it as too costly as if doing the first and only independent validation with our own users is not

Users will accept absolute shite and that is definitely a cost saving. Unfortunately. End users complain a lot but in the end they'll just work around bugs and this is why I blame a lot of the deficiency in current software development on end users.