This episode looks at the preprint, No Silver Bullets: Why Understanding Software Cycle Time is Messy, Not Magic, from John Flournoy, Carol Lee, Maggie Wu, and Catherine Hicks from Pluralsight. The paper looks at how cycle time is influenced by a large number of factors, with none being a silver bullet. The compound affect of […]

From the article Work Is Water on The New Stack. Modern work environments often overwhelm individuals with an endless stream of tasks, akin to a river flooding its banks. It suggests that attempting to rush work through only exacerbates the problem, leading to more interruptions and a feeling of being constantly submerged. Embrace a “flow” […]

Looks at the Defining Restorative paper from Ted Wachtel, founder of the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). The explores the historical evolution of restorative justice from ancient roots to modern applications and outlines a supporting framework and how it can be used in the context of software teams. It builds trust, fosters buy in, […]

The State of GitOps Report is the first in-depth investigation into the adoption, practices, and benefits of GitOps, drawing on data from 660 survey responses and expert interviews. Its goal is to understand what constitutes successful GitOps implementation. The report finds that GitOps adoption is increasing, with 93% of organizations planning to continue or increase […]

Lets look at the paper Evaluating the impact of Test-Driven Development on Software Quality Enhancement, published in I. J. Mathematical Sciences and Computing. Find out the hurdles and outcomes of a TDD approach. Hurdles include lack of experience, time constraints, difficulty creating comprehensive tests cases, and integration issues. Benefits are things like user satisfaction, product […]

The landmark paper by Fred Brooks, No Silver Bullets, is stuffed full of smart thinking that applies today just as much as it did in the 1980s. Find out about accidental and essential complexity and the factors in software that make it hard to share a mental model about the systems we create. Crucially, find […]

Find out what transformational leadership looks like and how it benefits work performance and employee wellbeing and satisfaction. Based on DORA’s research program, this episode looks at one of the most impactful capabilities you can bring to your software team, which is based on 5 qualities:

This paper on Psychological Affordances and their influence on DevEx improvement interventions from Catherine M. Hicks is a goldmine for understanding how to make a lasting difference to development teams. Find out what a “psychological affordance” is, how definitions of developer experience differ, and how to create the right conditions for success. For that code […]

A tour of the 10 principles that guide safe, responsible, and effective use of AI in government from the Artificial Intelligence Playbook for the UK Government.

Looking back at the history of software delivery is like discovering the kind of diamond mine you see in cartoons. Lights reflect from perfectly cut gemstones that simply need to be plucked from the walls. Well, way back in 1968, there was a NATO software engineering conference. Surely, there’s nothing to learn about software engineering […]