APPropriate Behaviour
The book about all the things software writers do that aren't writing software.
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Category Archives: process
The manifesto for anarchic software development
Go on, read the manifesto again. You’ll see that it’s a manifesto for anarchism, for people coming together and contributing equally toward solving problems. From each according to their ability, to each according to their need. The best architectures, requirements, … Continue reading
Stay on target…
I introduce the kind of customer who needs the Labrary’s advice with the following description: Your software team was a sight to behold, when it started out. You very quickly got to an MVP, validated its fit with early successes, … Continue reading
Posted in agile, process, team
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Pairing in Github
In the world of free software, it’s good to appropriately credit contributors to your community for the work they do. git makes this hard when you pair program. I was at a hackathon recently, and while I didn’t make a … Continue reading
Posted in process, tool-support
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Everyone rejecting everyone else
It’s common in our cooler-than-Agile, post-Agile community to say that Agile teams who “didn’t get it” eschewed good existing practices in their rush to adopt new ways of thinking. We don’t need UML, we’re Agile! Working software over comprehensive documentation! … Continue reading
Immutable changes
The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act was supposed to bring about a culture change in the parliament and politics of the United Kingdom. Moving for the second reading of the bill that became this Act, Nick Clegg (then deputy prime minister, now … Continue reading
Posted in process
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The value of the things on the left
With the rise of critical writing like Bertand Meyer’s Agile! The Good, the Hype, and the Ugly, Daniel Mezick’s Agile-Industrial Complex, and my own Fragile Manifesto, it’s easy to conclude the this Agile thing is getting tired. We’re comfortable enough … Continue reading
Experts around the table
One of the principles behind the manifesto for Agile software development says: Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. I don’t like this language. It sets up the distinction between “engineering” and “the business”, which is … Continue reading
Posted in agile
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The Fragile Manifesto
A lot of what I’ve been reading and thinking about of late is about the agile backlash. More speed, lower velocity reflects on IT teams pursuing “deliver more/newer IT” at the cost of “help the company achieve its mission”. Grooming … Continue reading
Grooming the Backfog
This is “Pub Walks in Warwickshire”. NEW EDITION, it tells me! This particular EDITION was actually NEW back in 2008. It’s no longer in print. Each chapter is a separate short walk, starting and finishing at a pub with a … Continue reading
More speed, lower velocity
I frequently meet software teams who describe themselves as “high velocity”, they even have graphs coming from Jira to prove it, and yet their ability to ship great software, to delight their customers, or even to attract their customers, doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Business, performance, process, software-engineering
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