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ICYMI: Innovation ALWAYS Demands We Change the Rules
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Monthly Archives: November 2021
Drop-In Experiment Terminated
Drop-In Experiment Terminated
Despite early uptake, the Think Different drop-in experiment is now terminated (a failed experiment, with uptake tailed off to zero). I guess folks don’t have a need to seek experience or help with their challenges these days. Or maybe it’s just me.
I’m with Voltaire’s rhetorical question:
“Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?”
~ Voltaire
– Bob
ICYMI: Agile Development Doesn’t Work
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Quickie: Oneself
“The most important questions in life can never be answered by anyone except oneself.”
John Fowles, The Magus
Quickie: Prejudices Or Performance?
What’s more important to your organisation: maintaining its existing collective assumptions and beliefs, or becoming highly effective?
Hint: It’s probably not the latter.
Quintessence First Version Now Available
Quintessence First Version Now Available
The first release version of my new book “Quintessence” is now available for purchase on LeanPub.
With this book I’m rewriting the whole field of software development management. About time, you might say. :}
This version is some 8% complete. I’ll be adding to it progressively over the next few weeks and months. I invite your early comments, suggestions and questions.
– Bob
Quickie: Hugging
Will we get back to hugging any time soon?
Quickie: Dave
Dave the VP of Sales strolled into the development department.
“Wow. It’s as quiet as the grave in here!” He announced to the room in his loudest look-at-me-I’m-a-salesman voice.
“Don’t you people ever let your hair down and get chatty?”
All the developers looked at him with quiet contempt.
He laughed, blithely oblivious to their stink eyes.
He strolled across the floor and guffawed again before flouncing out of the room and into the research VP’s office. The door closed behind him. The room sighed, and got back to the important work, having lost 400 minutes of work between them in under one.
“Jerk” was their considered opinion.
Opportunity to Contribute to “Quintessence”
Opportunity to Contribute to “Quintessence”
I’ve just published the Leanpub placeholder for my next and upcoming book: “Quintessence”. First iteration (likely, 8% complete) will be published soonest!
One major reason I’ll be first publishing the book in a very incomplete form is to provide you with the opportunity to contribute to the evolution of the field of software development (and, more broadly, collaborative knowledge work).
The Question
The one question on which I’m seeking and inviting your input is this:
What specific elements – practices, principles, values, assumptions, beliefs, etc. – do you believe characterise the QUINTESSENTIAL software development (and, more broadly, collaborative knowledge work) organisation?
Please respond via whatever channel suits you best (comments to this post, email, etc.)
I’d also be super delighted if you’d visit the Leanpub page and express your interest in the book!
– Bob
Quickie: Software Engineering Wannabes
I find it risible that many software groups refer to themselves as “engineers” and to what they do as “engineering”, when they have no idea what “engineering” actually entails. And in particular, when they make no effort to assess and control software risks (development risks and product risks, both).
See also:
Jones, C. (1994). Assessment and Control of Software Risks. Yourdon Press.
Koen, B. V. (2003). Discussion of the Method: Conducting the Engineer’s Approach to Problem Solving. Oxford University Press.
Demarco, T. & Lister, T. R. (2003). Waltzing With Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects. Dorset House Pub.
Announcement: New book “Quintessence” In The Works
Announcement: New book “Quintessence” In The Works
I’ve just published the Leanpub placeholder for my next book: “Quintessence”. First iteration (likely, 8% complete) will be published soonest!
I’d be delighted if you’d visit the page and express your interest!
– Bob
Quickie: Why Are Senior Software Engineers So Ignorant?
We might forgive junior software engineers (a.k.a. junior developers) for being ignorant of many things. The field of software engineering is both broad and deep, and it takes many years to come up to speed in all necessary aspects. Indeed, I have seen many engineers with even 10+ years experience having major blind spots and shortfalls in their knowledge. Are the latter “senior engineers”? Many of them bear this title. Outwith my issues about titles, I posit that there are numerous topics, mastery of which is require to fairly assume the title of “senior engineer” (hint: coding skills are but one of some fifteen or twenty such topics).
See also: Scope Of Ignorance
ICYMI: All Executives Are Unethical
In case you missed it:
Quickie: The Value Of Knowledge
Ignorance knows not the value of knowledge.
Think Different