Understanding Technical Debt Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy software solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. It is a design or technical infrastructure issue that is expedient in the short term but sets up a technical context that can make…
Defining Technical Debt and its Impact Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional work caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. As teams race to deliver new features, corners inevitably get cut, piling up technical debt over time. This debt manifests as difficulty…
Quantifying Research Work in Agile Frameworks Research work is often an overlooked effort in Agile frameworks. As an intangible activity, quantifying nebulous research tasks can be challenging. However, making research work transparent is critical for planning and tracking. Techniques like linking research to features, adding metadata to tickets, and analyzing velocity can elucidate the research…
Defining the Problem: Metrics Abuse and Toxic Work Cultures Many organizations rely heavily on metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive accountability. However, excessive focus on quantitative metrics can lead to unintended consequences: Emphasis on short-term results over long-term value creation Risk-averse behavior and fear of failure Lack of collaboration and knowledge sharing Unethical…
Software development teams often struggle to complete all planned tasks within a sprint iteration. Heavy workloads, unclear requirements, and poor collaboration can cause teams to miss deadlines and carry over unfinished work. This article explores practices for improving teamwork and communication to help developers collaborate more effectively and deliver work on time. Defining the Problem:…
Defining the Problem: Finding the Optimal Level of Abstraction Software requirements exist on a spectrum from high-level user needs to detailed technical specifications. On one end, user stories capture requested functionality in an agile, user-centric way. On the other, technical specs thoroughly define system behavior for implementation. Where along this spectrum of abstraction should requirements…
What is Technical Debt? Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional work caused by choosing an easy software solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. It is a software development concept that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to implement in the…
What is Technical Debt? Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional work caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. In other words, technical debt is a concept in programming that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to…
Bridging the Gap Between Lone Rangers and Collaborative Teams Understanding the priorities and motivations of cowboy coders is key to integrating them into collaborative teams. By communicating project scope, establishing coding best practices, promoting knowledge sharing, and cultivating a team culture rooted in empathy and understanding, leaders can align autonomous developers with broader goals. Cowboy…
The Problem of Cognitive Biases in Estimation Estimation is a crucial activity in software development, allowing teams to gauge the level of effort and resources required to complete work items in a project. However, human judgment in estimation can often be skewed by systematic cognitive biases. One such bias that plays a major role is…
