BUILDING A DEVELOPMENT DREAM TEAM
Companies are increasingly looking to software development to drive innovation and revenue. Innovation can open doors, but if poorly imagined or executed, it can shut them just as fast. Far too many attempts at innovation through development fall flat. In fact, nearly half of all digital commerce projects fail.
What are the costs of sub-par software development? These include slow speed, poor code quality, buggy systems, poor system performance, and misaligned business functions. Ultimately you may have a product that doesn’t work or won’t work without a lot of reworking.
Failed software development is mostly about teams, leadership, and culture and less about ideas or money. Money does matter and projects must be adequately funded to be successful. Most software projects are adequately funded.
The single best predictor of a successful development project is who is building it. Many issues over the course of development can be overcome. Having the wrong people or misaligned culture can be insurmountable.
The Ideal Developer
What makes an ideal developer? Is it razor-sharp technical skills? A Silicon Valley worthy resume? MIT summa cum laude? These things all sound good, but do they really equate to talent, and does that talent translate into outcomes? Ideal developers all have one thing in common - they are all inherently curious (although it may show in different ways).
Great developers want to learn and evolve. They love solving problems. The most effective developers are committed to craftsmanship. You can bet they have technical skills, but they don’t just want the car to drive, they want it to look good when you open the hood. They believe in elegant solutions and high-quality code that is built to, both, last and evolve as business needs change.
The best developers are process-oriented. They zero in on perfecting a process that consistently leads a high-quality product. A process-oriented developer with a commitment to craftsmanship can ramp up and learn business-specific knowledge quite quickly, but technical skills can’t overcome a lack of craftsmanship. Similarly, the best teams are a mix of good people with different strengths. A team comprised of only all-stars or talented developers that have difficulty working with or relating to team members is not going to put you on the right path.
The Process Is the Problem
Product software development is complex and has its own set of challenges. These challenges must be addressed in real-time to reduce the impact they have on your end product.
If the process is the problem, how do we address it? We address it with the continual use of sound engineering practices like code reviews, task branching, continuous integration, and regular releases. Continuous collaboration practices among developers, product managers, designers, testers, marketers, and operations are essential.
There must be a clearly defined and documented software development process. The process must be robust, but not set in stone. It needs to be flexible enough to handle any unknowns or surprises because there are always unknowns and surprises. Finally, the process must evolve as new challenges are uncovered.
Culture & Communication Drive Successful Development
You need good people and the right processes but these both can fail to deliver if not supported by culture. Managers frequently talk about culture but often don’t really understand how it applies to development. All too often team leaders talk about innovation and craftsmanship but do not support it in actions.
They may even create unintentional roadblocks to innovation and creative problem-solving. The focus can be put on “fast” over “finished”, on “cost” over “quality”. Cost matters, but only if it’s balanced with quality. If you get a product that does not meet your needs, it isn’t a bargain at any price.
A culture that supports innovation and quality development leads to a high-quality product. What does an ideal software development culture look like?
Passion and pride in what is produced
Strong identification with the customer
A deep desire to identify and solve problems
Commitment to quality tools to support development
High value placed on continual improvement
A balance of risk, creativity, and collaboration in the development process
A deep commitment to workmanship on all levels
Respect for technical talent
Continuous bi-directional mentoring and shared skill sets
Open communication about what is and what is not working
Communication is critical for any effective software development team and a culture that supports open communication and accountability over blame allows people to be honest about what is and what is not working. Solid developers know their strengths and weaknesses and they know when to ask for help but the organizational culture must support this. Similarly, the most effective development builds quality in at the beginning by moving problem discovery to the beginning rather than at the end of the development process. The process should build incrementally and include continual refinement based on real-time customer feedback.
Goals & Roles Must Be Clear
If we don’t know where we are going or who is doing what, we won’t get to the right place on-time. Good development requires teams that have clear goals and clear roles, where you are going and who does what. With any development, the goals of the project must be clearly articulated to each team member and the team. Also, individual roles need to be clearly articulated to the team member and to the entire team. In development, decisions must be made quickly to keep development moving forward. The team continues to collaborate but requires a clear team lead.
What Does This Mean for Your Software Development Project?
You must put quality in to get quality out. If corners are cut, your quality will be poor. As previously noted, a product that doesn’t meet your needs isn’t a bargain at any price. There are always some detours expected along the road to a high-quality product but good people, good processes, and a culture that supports quality development will get there faster.