It is very important that, as a software development team, we share certain premises about software and software development. This allows us to work more efficiently and effectively, as we are all aligned in terms of our vision and goals.
That is why I have tried to do an exercise in introspection to extract which are the basic premises that I almost unconsciously apply when I think about software and the process of developing it.
These are my premises for software system development:
- Software development is a team activity: We cannot work in isolation but must collaborate with other developers, designers, and other professionals to create a high-quality product.
- There is no real trade-off between quality and speed: The way to go fast is to have good quality. Low quality in the long run only ensures that we will go slower, as we will have to fix errors and problems.
- Software is a means to achieve an impact: We are not working just for the software itself but to achieve an impact on the "business". We must keep this in mind when making decisions and prioritizing tasks.
- Only one-third of the business ideas contribute effectively to the outcome we aim (Online Experimentation at Microsoft): We have to accept this and optimize for learning and distinguish between product development, prototyping, and experiments.
- When developing software-based systems, there is always a high degree of uncertainty, so we must optimize for quick feedback and work iteratively and incrementally, always taking small, safe steps (https://www.eferro.net/p/small-safe-steps-3s-workshop.html).
- Software has a basal cost (https://www.eferro.net/2021/02/basal-cost-of-software.html) that must be taken into account. When combined with the understanding that software is only a means to achieve an impact, it becomes clear that software can be considered a liability.
- In software development, maintaining options and flexibility is valuable. To do this, it is essential to defer commitment and try to use reversible decisions whenever possible.
These are my personal premises with respect to software development, and they are not necessarily universal principles. However, they are essential for working efficiently and effectively in software development. These premises may not apply in the same way in all contexts, but I perceive them as accurate in the contexts in which I have worked.
Some of these ideas have been confirmed in the industry through data, but for others, I only have more support than my own experience. In any case, I would love to share and contrast ideas with more colleagues.
Do you share these premises? Do you have others that are similar? Do any of these premises seem contradictory or contradict your own premises?
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