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Chasing Elephants - Alberto Brandolini - Codemotion Rome 2017
This document discusses common problems that arise when companies experience accelerated growth in developing software. It describes four phases of growth: inception, ramp up, outsourcing, and aftermath. Key issues discussed include a loss of purpose and energy as companies prioritize features and hiring over working with real users and experts, resulting in purposeless code of declining quality over time. The document advocates for creating an environment where developers can learn, experiment, and focus on users' needs rather than production metrics.
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Chasing Elephants - Alberto Brandolini - Codemotion Rome 2017
- 1.
- 2. About me • Codingsince 1982 • … but that’s not what I get paid for • #DDDesign #Agile #Lean #Complexity • I invented • I smell
- 3. Disclaimer • This talkwill be a collection of obviousness and inconvenient truth • … something like a pub rant, • … or maybe I do have a plan.
- 4.
- 5. Long long timeago…
- 6. Long long timeago… • Customer: “we need a new architecture!”
- 7. Long long timeago… • Customer: “we need a new architecture!” • Me: “A good architecture won’t save you! You have a bigger problem than that…”
- 8. Long long timeago… • Customer: “we need a new architecture!” • Me: “A good architecture won’t save you! You have a bigger problem than that…” • Customer: “That is not what you’re hired for: you’re an architect!”
- 9. Long long timeago… • Customer: “we need a new architecture!” • Me: “A good architecture won’t save you! You have a bigger problem than that…” • Customer: “That is not what you’re hired for: you’re an architect!”
- 11. Especially if theyare in the way between you and the solution Labels are Crap
- 12. … or thatwas what i thought We’re just problem solvers with a common goal
- 13. Saying NO isalways an option
- 14.
- 15.
- 16. Phase one: Inception •team Building (whatever that means)
- 17. Phase one: Inception •team Building (whatever that means) • Pile up features in any possible way
- 18. Phase one: Inception •team Building (whatever that means) • Pile up features in any possible way #Purpose
- 19. Phase one: Inception •team Building (whatever that means) • Pile up features in any possible way #energy #Purpose
- 20. Phase one: Inception •team Building (whatever that means) • Pile up features in any possible way #energy #Purpose #FUN
- 21.
- 22. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in
- 23. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy
- 24. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy • Massive recruitment schema
- 25. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy • Massive recruitment schema • Externalise recruiting
- 26. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy • Massive recruitment schema • Externalise recruiting • More people
- 27. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy • Massive recruitment schema • Externalise recruiting • More people • Interruptions / meetings / bugs
- 28. Phase two: Rampup • Money pouring in • Hiring frenzy • Massive recruitment schema • Externalise recruiting • More people • Interruptions / meetings / bugs #energy
- 29. “we hired random dudesand the results were amazing!!!”
- 30. no one ever “wehired random dudes and the results were amazing!!!”
- 31.
- 32. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors
- 33. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing
- 34. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing • To controlling
- 35. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing • To controlling • To fixing
- 36. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing • To controlling • To fixing #Scaling
- 37. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing • To controlling • To fixing #Scaling #Bureaucracy
- 38. Phase Three: Outsourcing •Internal devs turned into supervisors • From doing • To controlling • To fixing #Scaling #Bureaucracy #Boredom
- 40. an inconvenient truth Baddevelopers code Good developers cleanup
- 41. Sure! Cleaning upyour dishes has always been my secret goal.
- 42. Phase Four: Theaftermath • Welcome to Legacyland!!! • quite a few good devs leave #Ouch
- 43. More or less… Good developers mostly cleaning Good developers willleave Massive hire of external contractors Internal developers need to coordinate externals No time for coding for internal devs Economic Opportunity Enough budget Bad code will stay Increased amount of crappy code ?
- 44. How can itbe possible?
- 46. Being richer doesn’t makeyou right
- 47. What happens whenyou google “software developer” for images?
- 49.
- 50.
- 51. clueless dude in themiddle Slacking off gears?
- 52. clueless dude in themiddle Slacking off gears? xactly!!
- 53. clueless dude in themiddle Slacking off gears? Watching porn xactly!!
- 54. clueless dude in themiddle Slacking off gears? Watching porn My man! xactly!!
- 55. Typical developer “I thinkin 0 and 1, then I mind transmit it straight to my computer screen”
- 57.
- 59. Many companies have neverseen a real senior developer
- 60. Many companies have neverseen a real senior developer …and probably never will
- 61. “We want toreward individual productivity!”
- 62. “We want toreward individual productivity!”
- 63. “We want toreward individual productivity!”
- 64. “We want toreward individual productivity!”
- 65. The Cheaper Talent Hypothesis Courtesyof Martin Fowler (2008)
- 67.
- 68. Salary elephant • Agood developer could be significantly more effective than a bad one
- 69. Salary elephant • Agood developer could be significantly more effective than a bad one • up to an order of magnitude more,
- 70. Salary elephant • Agood developer could be significantly more effective than a bad one • up to an order of magnitude more, • not to mention negative productivity
- 71. Salary elephant • Agood developer could be significantly more effective than a bad one • up to an order of magnitude more, • not to mention negative productivity • Salary won’t grow in proportion
- 72.
- 74. Entangled problems • Seniorsare more expensive … but also more risky! • Can’t recognise a good senior
- 75. “Years of experience” don’tmake seniority
- 76. Let’s hire juniorsinstead!
- 77.
- 78. The “young promise”scenario
- 79. The “young promise”scenario 1. Hire cheap juniors … one will shine!
- 80. The “young promise”scenario 1. Hire cheap juniors … one will shine! 2. Provide them training…
- 81. The “young promise”scenario 1. Hire cheap juniors … one will shine! 2. Provide them training… 3. No, Step 2 was a joke! :-)
- 82. Hire cheap + AddPressure
- 83. Hire cheap + AddPressure ???
- 84. What happens when… Thegifted one discovers he/She’s good?
- 85. Even if youwere lucky, the chances you’ll be able to retain a gifted one, are really low.
- 86.
- 87.
- 88.
- 89. Where do thetalented go?
- 90. good developers go wheregood developers are
- 91. –Johnny Appleseed “Type aquote here.”
- 92. good developers go wherethey can learn something
- 93. good developers go wherethere some good stuff to do
- 94. “Software development is a learningprocess Working code is a side effect”
- 95.
- 97. They’ll leave when there’sno learning left.
- 98. The elephant inthe middle of the road
- 99. Development team • It’snot supposed to talk with the users • It’s not supposed to talk with the real experts • It’s not supposed to talk with the real customer
- 100. How the hellare we supposed to learn?
- 101. But there’s somethingworse than that
- 102.
- 105. I am aCraftsman!
- 106. I am aCraftsman! I am the Product Owner
- 107. I am aCraftsman! I am the Product Owner I am a Senior Architect!
- 108. I am aCraftsman! I am the Product Owner I am a Senior Architect! I am the boss!
- 109. –Johnny Appleseed “Type aquote here.”
- 110.
- 111. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase:
- 112. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase: • 500 k lines of code
- 113. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase: • 500 k lines of code • Obsolete technology
- 114. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase: • 500 k lines of code • Obsolete technology • Oscillating between useless and poisonous
- 115. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase: • 500 k lines of code • Obsolete technology • Oscillating between useless and poisonous • Strong political backing to “revive” the project
- 116. Long time ago •Surveyed a huge codebase: • 500 k lines of code • Obsolete technology • Oscillating between useless and poisonous • Strong political backing to “revive” the project • Negligible user base.
- 118.
- 119.
- 120. No joy inwriting, damn hard to remove and change Software without a purpose is poisonous
- 121.
- 122. Not much timeago • Cool startup
- 123. Not much timeago • Cool startup • Tons of money
- 124. Not much timeago • Cool startup • Tons of money • Cool technology
- 125. Not much timeago • Cool startup • Tons of money • Cool technology • Not so clear purpose …They must be right!
- 126.
- 127. Symptoms • Feature creep •lots of unproven hypothesis
- 128.
- 129. I’ve seen manyplaces, but the problems are always the same
- 130. In 2017 softwaredevelopment is still managed as a production process… Management advice
- 131. In 2017 softwaredevelopment is still managed as a production process… IT IS NOT Management advice
- 132. Management advice Work tocreate an ecosystem where learning and delivery are possible
- 133.
- 134.
- 135. 1. Find yourreal users 2. make them happy 3. repeat
- 136.
- 137.
- 138.
- 139.