I totally agree that developers should not be isolated from the decision process.
For me, that is the biggest takeaway from the whole Agile movement.
Is not just about splitting your work into sprints and have a daily standup is about having access to ask questions, clarify specs, or throw them out the window if they no longer work.
That said there are certain types of programming jobs that work more like a factory assembly line... and that is fine. To use your metaphor about Medical care, not all programmers should be brilliant neurosurgeons, we also need nurses and general doctors and whatnot.
The funny thing about the construction metaphor is a lot of people use it because they think that everyone understands construction, but actually, most people don't.
Most people have no idea how much effort is involved in building a house, what are the steps you need to take, and how much is going to cost them.
Same as in Software there is not a single big and complex construction project that does not stumble on some unforeseen problem or complication that stretch its budget and deadline.
Thank you for the great article, it made me think about a lot of things.
Great feedback! And yes, it's absolutely true that most people don't really understand construction (myself included). If they did, they'd probably stop using that analogy.
I do believe that the process of designing software can be very similar to being an architect. But in the dev-is-construction metaphor we usually fall back on the idea that the actual construction phase is static - as though all the planning's already been done, and now those guys with the big machines and the power tools just need to "make it happen".
Well, I know I'm quite late to the party, but I recently stumbled upon one of your pieces, and I think they are very insightful.
I can resemble many of your ideas - I see myself more a craftsman than an architect or a doctor.
Why? Because craftsmen plan and build things. Like a carpenter plans and builds a new table or a cupboard, he/she can also repair an old chair - using his craft, tools and sometimes replacement parts.
And everything you find another type of chair, table or cupboard - sometimes similar, sometimes not.
And even if the carpenter builds a new house after a plan an architect did - the wood is always unique, the grounds are unique and the building teams is unique - so you will never build two identical houses - each and every house is a unique piece of work, like every new software is.
Yep - totally agree! Maybe I fall upon the medicine analogy because I'm often called on to diagnose and treat issues that exist in current apps. But I don't disagree with you at all. When you're building a new app from scratch, many people use the analogy of building a house. But I don't like that analogy. Because most houses nowadays are built from pre-existing architectural plans - basically, the building part of it is like putting together a kit. But the reality is that it's never as much like a "kit" as the client believes. There's always a lot more craftsmanship that goes into it. So, yeah... I totally agree with what you're saying.
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
Great article!
I totally agree that developers should not be isolated from the decision process.
For me, that is the biggest takeaway from the whole Agile movement.
Is not just about splitting your work into sprints and have a daily standup is about having access to ask questions, clarify specs, or throw them out the window if they no longer work.
That said there are certain types of programming jobs that work more like a factory assembly line... and that is fine. To use your metaphor about Medical care, not all programmers should be brilliant neurosurgeons, we also need nurses and general doctors and whatnot.
The funny thing about the construction metaphor is a lot of people use it because they think that everyone understands construction, but actually, most people don't.
Most people have no idea how much effort is involved in building a house, what are the steps you need to take, and how much is going to cost them.
Same as in Software there is not a single big and complex construction project that does not stumble on some unforeseen problem or complication that stretch its budget and deadline.
Thank you for the great article, it made me think about a lot of things.
Great feedback! And yes, it's absolutely true that most people don't really understand construction (myself included). If they did, they'd probably stop using that analogy.
I do believe that the process of designing software can be very similar to being an architect. But in the dev-is-construction metaphor we usually fall back on the idea that the actual construction phase is static - as though all the planning's already been done, and now those guys with the big machines and the power tools just need to "make it happen".
Well, I know I'm quite late to the party, but I recently stumbled upon one of your pieces, and I think they are very insightful.
I can resemble many of your ideas - I see myself more a craftsman than an architect or a doctor.
Why? Because craftsmen plan and build things. Like a carpenter plans and builds a new table or a cupboard, he/she can also repair an old chair - using his craft, tools and sometimes replacement parts.
And everything you find another type of chair, table or cupboard - sometimes similar, sometimes not.
And even if the carpenter builds a new house after a plan an architect did - the wood is always unique, the grounds are unique and the building teams is unique - so you will never build two identical houses - each and every house is a unique piece of work, like every new software is.
Yep - totally agree! Maybe I fall upon the medicine analogy because I'm often called on to diagnose and treat issues that exist in current apps. But I don't disagree with you at all. When you're building a new app from scratch, many people use the analogy of building a house. But I don't like that analogy. Because most houses nowadays are built from pre-existing architectural plans - basically, the building part of it is like putting together a kit. But the reality is that it's never as much like a "kit" as the client believes. There's always a lot more craftsmanship that goes into it. So, yeah... I totally agree with what you're saying.