This document summarizes a talk given by Francesco Degrassi about his experience developing complex software in a difficult environment. Some key points: - He worked on a project with a large team across many departments that lacked clear guidelines and had conflicting priorities. - His team did their best with practices like pairing, testing, continuous integration but the client was unhappy because the software was late, irrelevant, and automated a useless process. - The team decided to change their approach to work more closely with the client, challenge assumptions, and continuously deliver value rather than just building software. - This involved finding true stakeholders, building trust through transparency and delivery, fostering respect, and focusing on solutions rather than compromise.

1. BUILDING SOFTWARE THAT
MATTERS
(if any)
Optional Conference 2014 - Budapest

2. FRANCESCO DEGRASSI
@EdMcBane
Enthusiastic yet pragmatic Lean Software Developer.
Uppish and cynical nihilist from time to time.

3. THIS IS JUST OUR EXPERIENCE
Complex environment
Retrospective coherence
No guidelines

4. A DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT
Custom Software development
Large companies, heavy on process
Many teams and departments, often in conflict

5. A GREAT TEAM
ENTHUSIASTIC
COMPETENT
DEDICATED

6. WE DID OUR BEST
Pairing
Testing, TDD
Continuous integration
Getting feedback
Minimizing work in progress
You name it

7. WE DID BUILD GREAT
SOFTWARE

8. BUT THE CLIENT DID NOT
APPRECIATE IT
It was late
It was irrelevant

9. IT WAS AUTOMATING
A USELESS PROCESS

11. WE DIDN'T APPRECIATE
EITHER

12. WE DECIDED TO CHANGE

13. WE DECIDED
to pursue GOALS rather than build software
to work WITH the client, rather than FOR the client
to challenge the assumptions and find new ways

14. TO CONTINUOUSLY DELIVER

15. TO DROP THE BACKLOG

16. BUT HOW?

17. AT FIRST PUZZLEMENT...

18. EVEN FEAR...

19. FINDING TRUE
STAKEHOLDERS

20. BUILDING
TRUST

21. BY BEING ABLE TO DELIVER

22. BY BEING TRANSPARENT
How can people trust the harvest,
unless they see it sown?
Mary Renault

23. FOSTERING
RESPECT

24. USING A SHARED LANGUAGE
Software developers talking business
and helping businesspeople express precisely

25. LOOKING FOR SYNTHESIS,
RATHER THAN COMPROMISE

26. AVOIDING
TOTAL WAR

28. STAKEHOLDERS
WILL FIND THE WAY
if they believe in the need to

29. DON'T FORGET
TO CELEBRATE

30. GIVING CREDIT TO THOSE
WHO BELIEVED
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising

31. THIS IS GREAT

32. I MEAN GREAT !
That is AWESOME!
Luca
Whoa! Can you teach THEM how to do that?
Mauro
You are the best thing since sliced bread!
Nobody (yet)

33. PROVABLY GREAT !!!
60% lower costs
non-existent rework
lower defect rate
drastically lower lead time (months to days)
reliable (short term) forecasts
consistent results

34. TRY IT YOURSELF
Deliver outcomes, rather than software
Eliminate waste and accidental complexity
Don't go to war
Bring everyone on the team

35. Twitter: @EdMcBane
Blog: edmcbane.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: Francesco Degrassi

36. RECOMMENDED READING
- William R. Noonan
- Dave Snowden
- Alberto Brandolini
- Alistair Cockburn
- Jezz Humble
- Mary & Tom
Poppendieck
Discussing the undiscussable
Cynefin framework
Non è affatto semplice
Agile Software Development
Continuous Delivery
Lean Software Development

37. CREDITS
Microsoftorgchartcartoon edited from originalbyManu
Cornet
is licensed
under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Jengatower by
Cynefin diagram byDave Snowden -Cognitive Edge
http://www.bonkersworld.net/
"Bananaflasher"byJosé MaríaAndrés Martín
usedcarspecialiston Flickr