Dear Developer, I wanted to touch base on a dilemma that I’ve noticed many developers, perhaps including you, grapple with frequently: the decision of whether to invest in test automation or not. It’s a decision that carries weight, both in terms of the development process and the end product. All too often, I’ve observed …
WIN #023: Seeking Approval for Test Automation? Look Inward, Not Outward Read More »
Dear Senior Developer, Picture this: A fresh-faced developer, eager and full of ideas, yet lost in the vast sea of code and best practices. That was us once, wasn’t it? Now, with your wealth of experience, you have the power to be the beacon for those embarking on the same journey – for those …
WIN #022: Lighting the Path: The Unparalleled Power of Mentorship Read More »
The Agile Manifesto and its subsequent methodologies were heralded as the future of software development. They emphasize adaptability, customer collaboration, and continuous improvement. But, with the rise of “Hollow Agile,” are we truly realizing its potential? This trend, fueled by certification-centric approaches, often magnifies the importance of certification over genuine understanding. Are we risking not only …
WIN #021: Agile Manifesto and its Offspring: A Blessing or a Curse? Read More »
Software development is a fascinating field that requires a lot of creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. As technology evolves, software development teams need to adapt and find new ways of working together to deliver high-quality products. In this post, I challenge the notion that all team members should be fully utilized, and that they should favor …
In the fast-paced world of software development, buzzwords like “full cycle developer” and “full stack developer” are thrown around all the time. But what do these terms actually mean, and why are they important? Let’s take a closer look at both full cycle and full stack development, and explore the different roles and responsibilities of …
WIN #019: From Ideation to Deployment: Full Cycle vs Full Stack Development Read More »
Agile, as a set of values and principles for iterative and adaptive software development, has come a long way since its inception in 2001. Starting as a pure punk movement, challenging the traditional and bureaucratic software development approaches, Agile has now become a mainstream corporate buzzword, often losing its essence and purpose. In this blog …
“Cargo cult” is a term used in software development to describe the phenomenon of developers adopting practices or processes without fully understanding the underlying reasoning or benefits. It usually leads to negative impacts such as a drop in SW quality, stifling creativity and innovation of developers, and broken team dynamics. In this newsletter, I will explore …
WIN #017: Cargo Cult in Software Development: Understanding the Impacts and Downsides Read More »
Even though they represent very different things, efficiency and effectiveness are often confused and used incorrectly. Here is the usual explanation: Efficiency is about doing things in the most cost-effective way – it refers to the ability to use resources in the most economical way possible in order to accomplish a task or a goal. It is most often measured in …
WIN #016: Efficiency vs Effectiveness of a Software Development Team Read More »
This week’s newsletter brings details on why phase-gate code reviews are harmful to your SW development teams. #1 ❓ But I need these code reviews before the code is merged! How could I ensure quality without them? ❗️ Although the generally good and necessary practice, code reviews turned into their opposite in the past …
WIN #015: Dysfunctions of Phase Gate Code Reviews Read More »
Read about 5 often-overlooked laws which critically affect scaling SW development teams. #1 ❗️ Scaling a software development setup is not a trivial task. Depending on the SW dev setup’s condition, it might be wiser not to scale at all, or at least to postpone the scaling until the setup itself is ready. In …