Lately, there’s been a thread of discussion that centers on the question “Is TDD dead?” TDD isn’t dead, nor is it the problem. TDD is a practice, a tool. It’s like a hammer. We can use TDD to build something marvelous, and we can use it to build something horrible. Unfortunately, TDD gets a bad rap because many have been…
Proudly learned elsewhere
Not invented here explains the mystery of why organizations re-invent what has already been done well by others. Sometimes it’s a tribal thing, if we didn’t make it: it could be dangerous, we could become dependent, or it won’t fit our needs. Most of the time these fears are irrational. Sometimes it’s a matter of cost. Many people ignore options…
Value is a universal language
Antonino and Ana share a small, one bedroom apartment in New York City. In the corner of their living room, they share a desk that serves as an office. One Saturday, Ana lamented the desire for a shelving system to organize the cacophony of office equipment scattered around one end of the couch. Antonino, about to leave for an arduous…
Simplifying the delivery of software
New frameworks and tools are continuously being created to improve how we develop software. I’m always in search of ways to simplify the delivery of software. Simplifying delivery pays dividends in the ability to release and receive feedback quickly. I published a feature article in MSDN magazine about how to do this within the .NET ecosystem. Although the article dives…
What’s your impact?
Pick a project you’ve worked on recently, something substantial. What impact has it had on your customer(s)? What about the impact on your customer’s customer(s)? What was the intangible impact? What was the financial impact? What decisions were you able to make to maximize the intangible impact? What decisions were you able to make to maximize the financial impact? What…
Maximize Outcomes by Establishing a Release Driven Workflow, Upfront
First appeared on JetBrains TeamCity Blog. What if you never had to worry about another software release? What if you had confidence in frequently delivering valuable software? What would it be like to establish this before you ever write the first line of code? Find out how focusing on outcomes and working backward to establish a release driven workflow, upfront,…
Making a difference
Sometimes, helping is hard work. Especially in software development. Occasionally, I feel like this chicken, and I suspect many of you do as well! I absolutely do not mind feeling like this, just not every week please. However, I detest feeling this way when I have no perspective on how my work impacted your organization. I thrive on knowing that…
Value Pricing and Software Development on The Businessology Show
Last week I talked with Dan and Jason on The Businessology Show about value pricing and software development. We had a blast discussing how important purpose and value are in developing effective software. Listen in and see what conclusions you come to! Wesley McClure Talks Value Pricing and Agile Development
How to decide?
A couple of years ago I was on vacation in New Zealand. Jonathan and I had the opportunity to go bungy jumping from the Kawarau Bridge. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was how much it cost. Well over one hundred dollars! The first thing that came to mind, that’s way too expensive! I was ready to say…
Rules are irrelevant
I have a friend who writes about breaking news. He crafts meaningful stories about newsworthy events. Occasionally, when he posts an article, he’ll find a coworker has hurriedly thrown up a post, just seconds before. Out of respect for their work and an obligation to avoid overlapping content, he pulls his own article. Even though he started first, and labored…