In this Dead Code episode, Jessica Kerr (Jessitron) joins host Jared Norman to explore the evolving nature of experimentation and learning in software development. Jessica reflects on her shift from valuing software’s determinism to embracing the unpredictability of distributed systems and human factors. She explains that traditional scientific methods, like A/B testing, often fall short in complex, socio-technical environments, where dynamic learning and observing real-world impacts are crucial. At Honeycomb, she practices a holistic approach to experimentation, viewing each system and team as a “symmathesy”—a mutual learning environment where insights flow between developers and the software. Jessica emphasizes that continuous improvement relies on knowledge sharing and storytelling within teams, urging developers to approach retrospectives as genuine feedback loops to refine processes, connect with teammates, and foster growth.

Links:

Jessica's Website – Jessica’s personal website, where she shares her blog and more about her work.

Symmathesy Talk at RubyConf – Jessica's talk about symmathesy from RubyConf

Diana Montalion's Book on Systems Thinking: Learning Systems Thinking

Graceful.Dev – Jessica's platform for short educational videos.

Jessitron’s Twitter

Jessitron’s Mastodon

Jessitron’s Instagram

Honeycomb.io 

Agile Manifesto

Dead Code Podcast Links:

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Jared’s Links:

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Episode Transcript

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